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2 4 x 6,3 — 

TRAVELS AM) ADVENTURES 

IN 

SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA. 


%iU in t|t flanus af Amentia. 


,: of co^s^. 

/f'COPyRISST^' 

BT \ ' <*^4, 

DON RAMON % PAEZ. 



HARTFORD: 

T. BELKNAP. 
1873 . 




Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1873, by 
T. BELKNAP, 

In the office of the Librarian of Congress in Washington. 













PREFACE. 



It was my lot several years ago—I need not state how 
many—to be brought forth into this world amid the wild 
scenes which I propose to describe. Later in life I was 
^"tunate enough to be sent by my parents to England, for the 
purpose of finishing my education' under the tuition of the 
1 rned fathers at the College of Stonyhurst. While there, 
I xad the pleasure of making the acquaintance of the inimi- 
dble author of “ Wanderings in South America,” Charles 
Waterton, Esq., who years before had also been an inmate 
of that celebrated institution, and whose book became at once 
my favorite study, on account of the graphic descriptions it 
contains of animals and objects with which I was already 
familiar. The works of the distinguished traveller, Baron 
von Humboldt, who first made those regions known to the 
civilized world, next afforded me an endless source of scien¬ 
tific enjoyment, developing in me an early taste for the 
natural history and physical wonders of my native land. 



4 


PREFACE. 


On my return home, I immediately turned my steps 
toward 

“ Those matted woods. 

Where crouching tigers wait their hapless prey,” 

anxious to study nature in her own sanctuary; but, owing 
to the unfortunate state of affairs in the country, I did not 
enjoy long my cherished dreams of exploring it through all its 
extent. Sufficient information was, however, obtained in my 
rambles through the plains, to enlarge upon a subject scarcely 
touched upon by travellers. 

Thus from my earliest days have I been associated with 
the scenes forming the text of the present narrative, which 
I venture to lay before the public, trusting more in the indul¬ 
gence and characteristic generosity of the Anglo-Saxon race 
toward foreigners, than in my own ability to fulfil the 
arduous undertaking. 



CONTENTS 


CHAP. 

Introduction, 

Venezuela, 

I. The Departure, 

II. The Morros, 

III. The Llanos, 

IV. The Llaneros, 

V. Scenes at the Fishery, 

VI. Wild Horses, 

VII. Across the Pampas, 

VIII. La Portuguesa, 

IX. The Apure River, 

X. Savannas op Apure, 

XI. El Frio, 

XII. Birds op III Omen and 

XIII. The Rodeo, 

XIV. Branding Scenes, . 

XV. Plants and Snakes, . 

XVI. Tiger Stories, 

XVII. Shooting Adventures, 
XVIII. Mata Totumo, 

XIX. Monkev Notions, 

XX. Among the Crocodiles, 

XXI. The Cimarronera 


PAGE 

. ' 9 

IS 

• 51 

66 

. 76 

90 

. 107 

124 

. 135 

149 
. 166 
183 
. 198 

Carrion Hawks, . 213 

. 225 

239 
252 
272 
. 288 

. . . . 301 

.... 313 

331 

. 344 



6 


CONTENTS. 


PAOH 

XXII. Los Borales, . . . . . 365 

XXIII. Our Leader, . . . . . .379 

XXIV. Scenes at the Pass of Apurito, . . 412 

XXV. The Wonders of the River, . . . 428 

XXVI. The Land of El Dorado, . * . 441 

xxvn. The Oil Wells of the Orinoco, . . 480 

XXVIII Homeward Bound, . . . 498 

XXIX, Calabozo, . . . . .510 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


1. Frontispiece—Map of Venezuela. 

2. Caracas, 

3. Morros de San Juan, 

4. The Llanos, 

5. Pounding Com, 

6. Striped Catfish, . 

7. TheCaribe, 

8. The Electric Eel, 

9. Troop of Wild Horses, 

10. A Prairie on Fire, 

11. Encounter with a Crocodile, 

12. The Saman, 

13. Garzero, 

14. The Rodeo, 

15. Training the Boys, . 

16. Mata-caballo, 

17. Coral Snake, 

18. Aristolochia Apurensis, . 

# 

19. The Jaguar, 

20. The Puma, . . , 

21. Garzoneandoy 

22. The Armadillo, 


riai 

28 
69 
76 
86 
111 
113 
118 
134 
147 
164 
172 
187 
225 
250 
260 
262 
269 
272 
283 * 
292 
295 








8 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAOH 

23. The Great Ant-Eater, . . . . 307 

24. Among the Crocodiles, . . . . . 331 

25. Young Crocodile, ...... 333 

26. Crocodile Basking in the Sun, .... 342 

27. Our Leader, ...... 379 

28. Capture of Spanish Gunboats by Llanero Cavalry, . 401 

29. Dr. Gallegos Sewing the Belly of a Wounded Horse, . 415 

30. Scenes at El Dorado, . . . . . 441 

31. Arrow used in Turtle Shooting, .... 493 

32. Homeward Bound, ..... 498 


V 

i 



INTRODUCTION. 


“ Know’st thou the land where the citron grows, 

Where midst its dark foliage the golden orange glows I 
Thither, thither let us go.” 

Goethe. 

To Young America: 

“ Smart,” as the world oyer, you are acknowledged to 
be—in which opinion I most heartily concur, having myself 
spent among you the best part of my life—permit me to call 
your attention to one important fact which has escaped your 
notice thus far, or rather that of your teachers, namely, a bet¬ 
ter acquaintance with that vast and glorious portion of our 
great continent lying at your very portals, South America— 
a region of which you have only a faint idea from the meagre 
information supplied by your School Geographies and occa¬ 
sional newspaper correspondents, but in fact a land of won¬ 
drous exuberance and untold natural wealth, which offers you 
a field of enterprise worthy of the founders of the States of 
California and Oregon, and the Territories of Montana, Ari¬ 
zona, and Colorado. 

It is a fact that while Europe, situated as it is far beyond 
our own hemisphere, has always sent her very best men to 
represent her in the South American States, and to explore 



10 


INTRODUCTION. 


and report upon every thing worth knowing, this country, 
America par excellence , has sent none as yet but broken down 
and quarrelsome politicians, who, according to the statements 
of some of the leading periodicals of this country,* are abso¬ 
lutely incompetent to fill their post with credit to the nation 
they represent. To my own personal knowledge I can testify 
as to the class of men sent afloat to Venezuela, one of whom 
had previously been master of a tug-boat on the Orinoco and 
Apure rivers, but through political influence at home was 
suddenly enabled to emerge from that obscure though honor¬ 
able calling to that of a diplomatic functionary, although it is 
but fair to state that his social status in that country was in 
no wise improved by his change of vocation. When his term 
of office expired, with the change of administration at head¬ 
quarters, he was duly replaced by another, whose conduct was 
so disgraceful f that his countrymen resident in the Republic 
petitioned the Government at home to remove him forthwith, 
which was granted, but only to replace him by another—since 
deceased—who, I am informed, was the only drunken man seen 
in the streets of the capital. 

Thanks to the unaided efforts of a missionary gentleman, 
Rev. Mr. Fletcher, $ the magnificent empire of Brazil has lately 
been brought to the notice of the people of the United States, 
who, quick to appreciate the commercial advantages offered 
by a foreign country, when fully demonstrated to them, have 
already established a line of steamers between New York and 

* Vide New York “Herald,” of July 17th and Aug. 5th, 1867. 

f Vide New York “ World,” of Aug. 5th, 1866. 

% Author of “ Brazil and the Brazilians.” 


INTRODUCTION. 


11 


the principal ports of the Empire. Outside of this the people 
of this enterprising country have only had occasional glimpses 
of the vast continent of South America, from the notes of 
casual travellers and the official reports of Lieuts. Page, 
Herndon, and Gibbon, of the navy, who confined their ob¬ 
servations principally to the practicability of navigating the 
two great rivers Amazon and La Plata, already surveyed by 
their respective governments and explored from end to end 
by several European travellers. It is to be hoped, however, 
that the eminent naturalist, Agassiz, who lately visited the 
former river with reference to a particular branch of science, 
will give us the result of his explorations as clearly, and re¬ 
lieved of the technicalities of scientific lore so common among 
naturalists, as the distinguished artist Church, who several 
years ago penetrated, u on his own hook,” to the heart of the 
Andes , has presented the grand and beautiful ridge on canvass 
to the eyes of admiring thousands who have gazed upon his 
admirable paintings, thus familiarising the outside world with 
that picturesque region, and earning for himself a name second 
to none in the estimation of the artistic world. 

North Americans cannot longer ignore that great section 
of our continent which, during thirteen years, warred to the 
knife against her powerful antagonists, Spain and Portugal, 
for the possession of those political principles proclaimed 
years before by their own- Great Republic; for it is a fact, 
that while most of the European nations hastened to acknowl¬ 
edge the independence of the South American States, the 
United States of America were the last to recognize them; 
and if we of the South have not been as successful in the 


12 


INTRODUCTION. 


establishment of Republican Institutions as our brethren of 
the North, the fault is not ours, but is to be attributed to the 
u peculiar institutions ” implanted on our soil by its fanatical 
and remorseless conquerors, so utterly inimical to enlightened 
educational development.* 

And now look, on the other hand, to the host of distin 
guished names that figure among the European representa 
tives and explorers in the various sections of South America 
and the advantages gained by the countries they represent.- 
At the head of all stands the illustrious Humboldt, who waa 
the first to penetrate that comparatively unknown region at 
the time (1799), and to lay open her wondrous treasures be* 
fore the civilized world. Any eulogistic comments upon this 
truly great man are superfluous: the world is filled with his 
fame, as radiant as the celestial spheres above, which he 
overran likewise with his penetrating mind, and after devot¬ 
ing nearly three quarters of a century to the study of the 
Universe, he died only a few years ago at the advanced age 
of ninety-two, in the full enjoyment of his mental faculties. 
His works are the grandest monument of the nineteenth 
century. 

To Prussia we are indebted.for the services of another 
resolute explorer, Prince Adalbert, who fearlessly penetrated 
to the remotest parts of Brazil, and the botanists, von Tschudi, 
Karzten, and Moritz, who have enriched the European 

* “ Such is the state to which colonial politics and mal-administration 
have during three centuries reduced a country which, for natural weath, 
may vie with all that is most wonderful on earth.” 

Humboldt, Travels , vol. iii., c. 27. 


INTRODUCTION. 


13 


museums and conservatories with the treasures of our Flora. 
Other parts of Germany have sent no less distinguished in¬ 
dividuals in the persons of Prince Maximilian of Bavaria, 
and the great naturalists, Narterer, Spix, and von Martius, 
all of whom have given to the scientific world the result 
of their explorations in works of enduring fame. France 
ranks next in distinguished names, such as La Condamine, 
D’Orvigni, Jussieu, St. Hilaire, Bonpland (the companion of 
Humboldt), Depons, Lavayesse, Webber, Liais, etc.; and 
Great Britain, with her Parishes and Fitzroys, who surveyed 
and carefully sounded every estuary, bay, and inlet which lie 
between the Plata and the Bay of Valparaiso, with the cele¬ 
brated naturalist, Darwin, as co-laborer; Sir Robert Schum* 
bourgh, the discoverer of that vegetable wonder, the Victoria 
Regia, and the ^hitherto unknown sources of the great river 
Orinoco, the lake of Parime, supposed in the seventeenth cen¬ 
tury to be the abode of a mighty and resplendent Indian king 
—El Dorado—the gilded, from whom that .veritable land of 
gold, as it has subsequently been demonstrated, took''the 
name*—with other equally enterprising naturalists and ex¬ 
plorers, such as Waterton, Wallace, Bates, Vigne, Markham, 
and Spruce. Through the efforts of the two last namSd, 
England has succeeded in transplanting and successfully culti- 

* The late discoveries made in Venezuelian Guiana prove that the 
statements of Sir Walter Raleigh and other adventurers of his time 
were not without foundation, as gold of the finest quality and in the 
greatest abundance, is now gathered over an extent of territory sur¬ 
passing in richness and natural resources the famous California and 
Australia placers. 


14 


INTRODUCTION. 


vating in the mountains of India the various species of 
cinchona trees indigenous to the Andean range of moun- 
tains, that yield that invaluable.drug, quinine; while another 
enterprising Englishman undertook to stock Australia with 
the Alpaca sheep of the same region, at the risk of his life 
and fortune. 

Thus England, France, and Germany have secured the 
monopoly of the South American trade, with total exclusion 
of this country, which has to pay cash for what the former 
obtain in exchange for the produce of their manufactories. 
All these nations, moreover, appoint permanent representa¬ 
tives, chosen from among their ablest diplomats, and keep 
them there as long as they choose to remain, to enable them 
to become thoroughly acquainted with the people and the pe¬ 
culiarities of the country, endearing themselves to the inhab¬ 
itants by their munificent hospitality and courtly demeanor. 
Even distant and snow-bound Russia has sent to South 
America her commissions of savants, and maintains there, as 
well as Sweden, competent representatives, whose duty it is 
to report to their respective governments on the progress of 
affairs and the resources of those countries. 

I shall not close the list of European travellers and natu¬ 
ralists, with whom I am acquainted, without adding those of 
Holland and Belgium, viz., Mr. Langsberg, for many years 
Minister Plenipotentiary from the former country to Ven¬ 
ezuela, Baron Ponthos, and Messrs. Linden and Funk, 
who, by their united efforts, have contributed to 'enlighten 
their countrymen respecting the source from whence India- 
rubber emanates, and the kind of trees that yield the val- 


INTRODUCTION. 


15 


nable Calisaya and Angostura barks; what plants yield the 
fragrant Vanilla and Tonka beans, the healing balsams of 
Copaiva, Tolu, and Peru; and how indigo, cacao, and coffee 
are raised. “Does cotton grow in Venezuela?” “ Are there 

any railroads in Chile ? ” are questions which have respec* 
tively been addressed to me and to the accredited Minister of 
the latter flourishing republic to the United States by persons 
enjoying the greatest advantages of education in this country. 
Now, it is a well-known fact to European merchants that the 
cotton raised in Venezuela ranks among the finest in the 
world; and as regards railroads, Chile possesses some, of the 
most admirable works of the kind, due to the skill of North 
American engineers. 

But no wonder that so little is known here about South 
America, when one of the standard School Geographies and 
most recent publications describes the products of Venezuela 
in these few lines : 

“ Its principal products are the woods and fruits of the 
forest and the cattle of the plains.” 

“ Exports.—The principal exports are the tropical fruits , 
which grow without cultivation; and hides, cattle, horses, and 
mules.” 

Any one would be led to suppose, from the perusal of 
the above quotations, that the country at large is “ in a state 
of nature,” and that the inhabitants themselves are no better 
off than “ the cattle of the plains,” 

“ Where at each step the stranger fears to wake 
The rattling terrors of the vengeful snake; 

Where crouching tigers wait their hapless prey, 

And savage men more murderous still than they.” 

—The Deserted Village . 


16 


INTRODUCTION. 


These things are only found in the depths of the primeva, 
forest, or amidst the labyrinths 'of rivers that traverse the vast 
extent of prairie land or llanos which form the subject of this 
book. These are the grazing grounds as well as military 
school of the republic: the agricultural portion lies north of 
this region, amidst the great chain of mountains, which, de¬ 
taching itself from the main Andean trunk in New Granada, 
or Colombia, as it is now called, runs eastward along the 
shores of the Caribbean Sea. The products of this region 
consist principally, as the school-book quoted above states, in 
the tropical fruits, not collected at random, as might be in¬ 
ferred from the above meager statement, but through the most 
careful cultivation, as a contemporary English traveller in that 
country rightly describes it in a few lines. 

“July 11th.—Having got our passports, we started at 
about 3 P. M. for San Pedro, distant about six leagues. The 
first three leagues lay through the beautiful valley of Chacao 
(Caracas). Everything bore the appearance of great pros¬ 
perity. The road was as good as any in Europe. The hedges 
were beautifully clipped; hardly a foot of ground could be 
seen that was not in a high state of cultivation. The planta¬ 
tions were numerous and in good order, and the long chimneys 
and black smoke showed that even in this remote valley steam 
was rendering its thousand-handed assistance. We crossed 
and recrossed the Rio Guaire several times before we ar¬ 
rived at Antimano, some two leagues distant from Caracas. 
We met several herds of wild cattle, being driven towards 
Caracas by the llaneros in crimson or blue ponchos, mount¬ 
ed on high-picked saddles, with their constant companion, the 


INTRODUCTION. 


17 


lasso, plaited into their horses* tails, and the long cattle-spears 
in their hands. The cattle were magnificent-looking animals, 
and reminded me of the breed that one sees in the bull-rings 
of old Spain. Coffee is more ciStivated in the valley of 
Chacao than any other crop, and it contributes in no small 
degree to the beauty of the scenery.” * 

Besides coffee this country produces the famous Cacao and 
indigo of Caracas, sugar-cane, and cotton of superior quality, 
tobacco hardly inferior to that of Cuba, especially the celebra¬ 
ted Varinas and Guacharo kinds, rice, Indian-corn, and most 
of the cereals of northern latitudes, according to the elevation 
above the sea level; and as to the products gathered “in a 
state of nature,” such as sarsaparilla, India-rubber, Piassaba, 
Vanilla, and Tonka beans, cabinet and dye-woods, their name 
is legion, and would require a separate volume devoted to that 
particular branch of scientific research, which the reader can 
find admirably compiled in the works of Humboldt and 
Bonpland, St. Hilaire, Sir Robert Schombourgh, Codazzi, 
and others. 

Now it is my purpose to introduce the young American 
reader to a country— 

“ Where maidens’ love as close, as sweet will twine, 

As cling the tendrils of their native vine,” 

and which hitherto seems to have been a sealed book to the 
future “Merchant Princes” of the great North. Humboldt 
describes it thus, in 1802 :— 

* “Rambles and Scrambles in North and South America,.” by 
Edward Sullivan, Esq. London, 1852. 


VENEZUELA. 


“Caracas is the capital of a country nearly twice as 
large as Peru, and now little inferior in extent to the king¬ 
dom of New Granada. This country, which the Spanish 
government designates by the name of Capitania-General de 
Caracas, or the United Provinces of Venezuela, has nearly 
a million of inhabitants, among whom are sixty thousand 
slaves. It comprises, along the coasts, New Andalusia, or 
the province of Cumana (with the island of Margarita), Bar¬ 
celona, Venezuela, or Caracas, Coro, and Maracaibo: in the 
interior the Provinces of Barinas and Guiana; the former 
situated on the rivers of Santo Domingo and the Apure, 
the latter stretching along the Orinoco, the Casiquiare, the 
Atabapo, and the Rio Negro. In a general view of the seven 
United Provinces of Tierra Firme, we perceive that they form 
three distinct zones, extending from East to West. 

“We find, first, cultivated land along the sea-shore, and 
near the chain of the mountains on the coast; next, savannas 
or pasturages; and finally, beyond the Orinoco, a third zone, 
that of the forests, into which we can penetrate only by the 
rivers which traverse them. If the native inhabitants of the 
forest lived entirely on the produce of the chase, like those 
of the Missouri, we might say that the three zones, into which 
we have divided the territory of Venezuela, picture the three 
states of human society; the life of the wild hunter, in the 


VENEZUELA. 


19 


woods of the Orinoco; pastoral life in the savannas or llanos, 
and the agricultural state, in the high valleys, and at the foot 
of the mountains on the coast.”* 

And yet this favored region can be reached in from twelve 
to fifteen day? by sailing packets between Philadelphia and 
La Guaira; or, should your fast habits require it, we can 
avail ourselves of the Brazilian line of steamships which 
will leave us at St. Thomas, where we shall meet the little 
steamer plying regularly between both points, the whole 
voyage being thus accomplished in eight days. As we are 
not in a hurry, however, to get through our journey, we will, 
for the sake of convenience and diversified amusement, follow 
the example of the above-mentioned traveller, Sullivan, who, 
in company of a friend, made the trip before us in a com¬ 
modious yacht by the way of the West India Islands; but 
having no craft of our own, we may be permitted to borrow 
from the New York yacht squadron one of their idle cutters, 
which can thus be better employed than in cruising round 
well-known fashionable retreats during a few months of sum¬ 
mer, and exposed for the rest of the year to the hard knocks' 
of a wintry climate. This is the best season to visit the 
tropics, as well as the West Indies, when there is no fear of 
the dreaded vomito or sweeping hurricanes. 

Hardly a day passes without coming in sight of some 
lovely isle of the Caribbean sea, which, like the “ Queen of 
the Antilles,”—Cuba—rises from amidst the placid waves, 
crowned with perpetual wreaths of fragrant orange-blossoms 

* Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America. 


20 


VENEZUELA. 


and stately palms. Cuba, Hayti, Porto Rico, St. Thomas, 
Sta. Cruz, Antigua, Granada, Barbadoes, Martinique, Guada- 
loupe, Tobago, and Trinidad, rise one after another in quick 
succession. When we reach the last named and most lovely 
of all, on the eastern extremity of Venezuela, we have the 
choice of either penetrating at once into the field of our ad¬ 
ventures by entering one of the numerous outlets of the 
Orinoco, which here pours out its tribute to the mighty 
Atlantic through a hundred mouths; or, following the line 
of coast to the westward, we may reach a point near the fer¬ 
tile valleys of Aragua, where well-trained horses for the sport 
and hardy llaneros to guide us, await our arrival. We shall 
thus have an opportunity of contemplating and admiring that 
stupendous chain of mountains (fit offspring of the mighty 
Andes further west), which seems as if thrown up by Titanic 
force as a barrier against the encroachments of the fierce 
Atlantic. 

Endless are the beauties and points of interest presented 
by this splendid chain of mountains ; its varied climes, from 
the scorching heats of the tierra caliente on the sea level 
to the frigid blasts of winter at higher elevations; its silvery 
springs and roaring cataracts; its unrivalled vegetation and 
glittering veins of precious metals. The trade winds and 
currents are in our favor, which will enable us to reach La 
Guaira in a couple of days, passing in quick succession some 
minor ports, such as Rio Caribe, Carupano, with its silver¬ 
bearing mountains in the distance, the island of Margarita, 
famous for its pearls, as the name implies; its fisheries, and 
the gallant defence made by the inhabitants against the 


VENEZUELA. 


21 


combined attacks of the Spanish hordes; Cumana, for its 
delicious grapes and pine-apples, its salubrious climate, and 
the purity of the sky, which enabled the immortal Humboldt 
to watch in wonderment the great meteoric shower in 1799, 
which he compared to a brilliant display of fire-works; Bar¬ 
celona, noted only for its hides, and the Monagas brother¬ 
hood, who were for many years the terror of the country. 

The coast, as we approach La Guaira, is lined with plan¬ 
tations of sugar-cane, cacao and cocoa-nuts, two articles often 
confounded in English spelling, but widely different in them¬ 
selves. The former grows on a moderately-sized tree, with 
large, glossy leaves, while the latter is the product of a palm, 
remarkable for the height it attains, and the prodigious size 
of its fruit, in bunches that few men can lift from the ground. 
The cacao nuts, on the contrary, grow in pods, resembling 
large cucumbers, of a rich chocolate color outside, filled with 
oblong nuts enveloped in a white, sub-acid pulp, very agreeable 
to the taste especially of parrots, monkeys, and squirrels, who 
destroy great quantities of the pods for the sake of the pulp, 
so that they require constant watching to protect them from 
these pests. * 

A cacao plantation is one of the handsomest orchards 
that can be seen, shaded as they are by another tree of large 
proportions, the erythrina, a leguminous plant with crimson 
flowers, which you may have noticed in greenhouses at home, 
though much reduced in size, as it never attains there more 
than a few feet above the boxes on which they are raised as 
an. ornament to the garden in summer. The rapidity with 
which these trees grow in the tropics is astonishing, for in 


22 


VENEZUELA. 


eight or ten years, Jhe time required to reach its maximum 
growth, they attain the size of the‘largest denizens of the 
forest. Observe how their tops glow with the fiery hue of 
their blossoms, for this is the season when they exchange 
their leaves for flowers, the only instance of a plant shedding 
its leaves in these latitudes, with the exception of the ceiba 
or silk cotton tree, which the author of Amyas Leigh has so 
admirably described as growing close to where we are jour¬ 
neying just now. 

Here the cordillera rises considerably above the connect¬ 
ing mountains, attaining a height of thirteen thousand feet in 
the peak of Naiguata, which you may perceive peeping 
through the clouds yonder, and the next one eleven thousand 
in the Cerro de Avila, both forming what is called the Silla, 
or Saddle of Caracas, at the foot of which stands La Guaira,. 
the principal port of the republic, but the vilest anchorage 
in the world. Here ends our yacht excursion; trusting in 
future to the nimble-footed mule or to the thumping stage 
coaches for the rest of the journey. 

Despite its wretched shipping facilities, La Guaira carries 
on a very active trade with foreign marts, as is attested by 
the number of English, French, German, and Italian mer¬ 
chants, with a few Americans, residing here, forming, as it 
were a truly foreign colony. The heat, as you perceive, is 
intense, owing to the proximity of the barren mountain-base, 
which leaves room scarcely for a loaded mule to turn round 
in the narrow and crowded-up streets. On this account, I 
presume, La Guaira is very healthy, for not even the Asiatic 
cholera could obtain a footing here—excuse the pun—when 


VENEZUELA. 


23 


it decimated the capital in 1853. Cases of vomito occur from 
time to time; but these are more the exception than the 
rule; so it does not follow that all hot places in the tropics 
are unhealthy, for Carupano, Margarita, Cumana, La Guaira, 
and Coro, which are within the isothermal line of greatest 
heat—owing, doubtless, to the dry, stony, or sandy soil on 
which they stand—are among the healthiest spots in Vene¬ 
zuela. However, we shall soon be out of this sultry place, 
and amidst the glories of a temperate climate. For this pur¬ 
pose we will hire mules at one of the posadas or hotels, to 
ascend the mountains on our way to Caracas, the capital 
of the republic, giving the preference to the old road , which 
is much shorter and more picturesque than the new one for 
carriage travel. Let us hear first the enthusiastic English 
tourist describe this route, as I may be accused by some of 
partiality towards my own country. 

“ The ascent is very precipitous, and the road rough and 
narrow, but the view of the boundless ocean on one hand, and 
the magnificent range of mountains on the other, was very 
grand. The road rather reminded me of the Great St. Ber¬ 
nard/ though the resemblance would not bear analyzing. The 
sensation of rising gradually into the cooler strata of air was 
most delicious; and at length, being suddenly enveloped in a 
cloud, I felt actually cold (a novel sensation I had not expe¬ 
rienced for several months), and was not at all sorry to put on 
my jacket. There is no mountain in the tropics where you 
rise as immediately and suddenly from the stifling heat of 
the Tierra Caliente to the delicious temperature of an Eu¬ 
ropean sunrise in spring, as the Sill a of Caracas. 


24 


VENEZUELA. 


“On the road from Vera Cruz to Mexico, when the trav 
eller arrives at the height of four thousand feet, beyond 
which the fever never spreads, he is upwards of thirty miles 
from the sea, whereas, on the road up the Silla at that height 
the ocean lies immediately at his feet, and he looks down upon 
it as from a tower. So perpendicular is the face of the Silla 
towards the sea, that any large boulder or mass of rock becom¬ 
ing detached high up the mountain and bounding down its 
.face, would fall clean into the ocean. About half way up the 
mountain, we crossed a deep cleft in the mountain called the 
Salto—a jump—on rather a rickety old draw-bridge. The 
bridge is commanded by a ruinous old town, called Torre 
Quemada, or the Burnt Tower, a name it derives from its be¬ 
ing placed just at the height where the traveller, descending 
to La Guaira, first encounters the stifling exhalations from 
the Tierra Caliente. About nine o’clock we stopped to break¬ 
fast at La Venta, an inn some five thousand feet above La 
Guaira. Here, in a perfectly European atmosphere, we lay 
out in the grass, and gazed down upon the ocean and the 
town of La Guaira; we could just distinguish the Ariel , 
looking the size of a walnut-shell, hoisting her white sail, and 
standing away for Porto Cabello, where we were to meet her, 
unless we returned to Trinidad via the Rio Apuro and the 
Orinoco.” 

Both sides of the road are lined with Maguey plants, or 
varieties of the Agave genus, improperly called aloes and 
century-plants , from a mistaken notion that they only blossom 
once in a hundred years. The most beautiful of these is the 
cocwy, with thick glossy leaves of a clear emerald color, from 


•VENEZUELA. 


25 


six to eight feet, and a flower-stock from twenty-five to thirty 
feet in length. I believe it is the same species that yields 
the famous beverage of the Mexicans, called pulque, which 
some compare to fermented animal juices. A much more 
agreeable drink is obtained here by distillation from this plant, 
and its leaves turned to better account by scraping out the 
fine fibres they contain, from which most beautiful hammocks 
are made in various parts of the country, besides ropes, coffee- 
bags, twine, etc., etc. A fortune is in store for .some Yankee 
genius who will invent the proper machine for dressing these 
leaves and getting the fibres. The other varieties are the 
cocuiza brava . or common century-plant (Agave Americana), 
with serrated leaves, on which account it is very useful for 
making hedges, and the cocuiza dulce , with perfectly smooth 
leaves, containing the strongest fibres and usually cultivated 
for that purpose. The pith of the flower-stock is also turned 
to account in various ways, especially for making the best kind 
of razor-strops. 

Were you as much a lover of plants as I am, I would in¬ 
vite you to descend with me to one of those lovely glens 
formed by these mountains. There, amid moss-covered rocks 
and sparkling rivulets, I would point out to you those singular 
orchidacoeous plants usually called air-plants, because they ob¬ 
tain their nourishment from the moist air that surrounds them, 
—not a bad idea,—those lovely daughters of Flora and Fa- 
vonius, so rich in perfume as well as color, but whose prim 
cipal charm consists in their caricaturing most living objects 
in nature, from the “human form divine,” as in man-orchis 
(0. mascula) to the bumble-bee, often deceived by a perfect 
2 


26 


VENEZUELA. 


representation of his species (Ophris apifera). Thus we 
count among our floral treasures “ angels,” “ swans,” “ doves,” 
“eagles,” “pelicans,” “spiders,” “butterflies,” “bumble-bees,” 
and even a perfect infant in its cradle, was found by Linden in 
the mountains of Merida. The celebrated Flor del Fspiritu 
Santo (Peristeria elata) is another of this class. It is there 
only that are found those two most beautiful species of cattleya 
(C. Mossiae and C. Labiata), so highly prized by plant collec¬ 
tors, from all nations, and here called Flor de Mayo , or May¬ 
flower, because it blossoms principally in the month of May. 
Great favorites are they with us also, and no court-yard is 
deemed sufficiently ornamented at Caracas without one or 
more baskets of these lovely plants, the stump of a tree, or any 
rustic basket filled with bark or moss, being sufficient support 
for them. In the same manner the curious Butterfly-flower 
(Oncidium papillio) is raised along with the others, often 
deceiving persons unacquainted with it, with a perfect rep¬ 
resentation of the insect whose name it bears; and if you 
should visit with me some of the cacao plantations in the 
tierra caliente, I would point out to you two equally ex¬ 
quisite plants of the same family attached to the rough 
stems and branches of the Erythrina, namely, the Swan-flower 
(Cycnoches ventricosum) and the Vanilla, both filling the 
air with the same perfume, but in different form, the former 
through its swan-like flowers, in clusters of three, five, and 
even seven, and the latter through its ripened pods—so well 
Known to perfumers and confectioners—as the blossoms of 
this last, though quite large and handsome, are destitute of 
perfume. 


VENBZUELA. 


27 


But to return to our mountain ride, for it is time that 
we should be prepared to behold a still more glorious view 
from the summit, than the one just described by Sullivan: 
“After a regular Spanish breakfast of chocolate and fried 
eggs, for which, in as regular Spanish custom, we were 
charged about ten times the proper amount, we continued our 
ascent, and gained the seat of the Saddle, a hollow between 
the two peaks, called the Pummel and Croup,* about ten 
o’clock. The summit of the pass called Las Vueltas, is a 
smooth undulating grass-land, somewhat like the sheep-downs 
of Sussex. The bold rocky peaks on either hand, stretching 
in a serrated ridge as far as the eye could reach, were very 
fine. I could scarcely fancy myself to be only ten degrees 
north of the equator, and actually on or rather only eight 
thousand feet above the isothermal line of greatest heat, 
which passes through Cartagena, La Guaira, and Cumana. 

“ We had left far below us all the tropical flora, and 
were amongst English ferns and English blackberries; 
and I actually discovered one familiar friend, a dandelion. 
Erom the summit of Las Vueltas, you first get a mag¬ 
nificent view of the valley of Chacao, lying some four 
thousand feet below you, with the city of Caracas in the 
centre of it. I don’t think the view from that height is so 
fine as some thousand feet lower down, where it certainly 
beats any view I have ever seen. It is finer in my opinion 
than the first coup d'oeil of the Vega and city of Granada 

* The writer is mistaken; the Saddle stands four or five miles 
east of this point, which is called La Cumbre , or the Summit. 


28 


VENEZUELA. 


from the Ultimo Suspiro del Moro, where the degenerate 
Boabdil el Chico, both in mind and body, turned to take 
one last fond look at the luxurious abode of his chivalric 
ancestors and wept bitterly, though too late, at his own 
cowardice and duplicity, which had almost without a blow 
surrendered to the “ curs of Nazareth ” the splendid heri¬ 
tage of nearly seven centuries, and which was never but in 
imagination to return to the true sons of the Prophet. It 
is also finer than the Valley of Chamouni or Martigny, 
from the Tete Noire, but I think it bears more resem¬ 
blance to the Vega of Granada.” 

Observe how regularly laid out, at right angles to each 
other, the streets are ; the area of the city is great for the 
number of inhabitants (sixty thousand), most of the houses 
being built one story high, and occupying in consequence 
a large space, on account of the earthquakes, which are of 
frequent occurrence all along the Andean range.' As we 
approach the suburbs, you may notice some of the ruins 
still remaining of that dreadful catastrophe, which, in 
1812, levelled this beautiful city to the ground, burying 
beneath the debris twelve thousand of the inhabitants, just 
as they had assembled in the magnificent churches of that 
time to render homage to the day, Holy Thursday. Since 
then the city has been rebuilt,- it is to be hoped on more 
solid basis. 

Caracas claims the honor of having given birth to 
several distinguished individuals, among others to Bolivar 
and Miranda, two of the greatest champions of South 
American independence; to Rosio, the Jefferson of Vene- 



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VENEZUELA. 


31 


zuela; to Andres Bello, a great poet and publicist; and to 
the eminent surgeon and physician, Dr. Vargas, one of the 
Presidents of the Republic. 

The climate of Caracas has often been called a per¬ 
petual spring. “ What can we conceive to be more de¬ 
lightful than a temperature which in the day keeps between 
20° and 26° * and at night between 16° and 18°, which is 
equally favorable to the plantain, the orange tree, the coffee 
tree, the apple, the apricot, and corn ? Jose de Oviedo y 
Banos, the historiographer of Venezuela, calls the situation 
of Caracas that of a terrestrial paradise, and compares the 
Anauco and the neighboring torrents to the four rivers of 
the Garden of Eden.” f 

The hotels, Sullivan describes as being as good as any 
in Europe. “ You might travel from one end of Old 
Spain to the other without finding anything to be com¬ 
pared to them, either as regards cleanliness or the civility 
of the landlords.” But as here I am at home , you are most 
cordially invited to our mansion at the end of the Calle del 
Comercio, where you may verify for yourself the truth of 
the statements concerning the climate and productions of 
this fertile valley. We may at once enter the garden, 
which occupies nearly the whole square, where, after our 
rough ride, we can refresh ourselves with the fruits of the 
season. 

Here, as you perceive, you find growing side by side 
the refreshing orange and the luscious apple, the pome- 

* Centigrade thermom. f Humboldt—Travels. 

^ to.?*- i a* 


32 


VENEZUELA. 


granate and the peach; the banana, the citron, the guava, 
the sapodilla, and papavv tree, all of them eminently tropi¬ 
cal fruits, with the pear, the grape-vine, and other produc¬ 
tions of temperate regions. Unsurpassed by any, not even 
by the famous Mangosteen of the Spicy Islands, you have 
here the delicious Chirimoya, or cherimoyer, as pronounced 
by Anglo-Saxons, and which I can only liken to lumps of 
flavored cream ready to be frozen, suspended from the 
branches of some fairy tree amidst the most overpowering 
perfume of its flowers; for it is in bearing all the year 
round, as indeed are most of the fruit trees you see about 
this garden, and consequently you may at all times enjoy 
the advantage of refreshing the inner as well as the outer 
man with a “ wilderness of sweets.” Markham,* who has 
tasted both the chirimoya and mangosteen in their native 
habitat, gives the preference decidedly to the former, and 
says of it: “ lie who has not tasted the chirimoya fruit 
has yet to learn what fruit is.” “ The pineapple, the man¬ 
gosteen and the chirimoya,” says Dr. Seeman, “ are con¬ 
sidered the finest fruits in the world. I have tasted them 
in those localities in which they are supposed to attain 
their highest perfection—the pineapple in Guayaquil, the 
mangosteen in the Indian Archipelago, and the chirimoya 
on the slope of the Andes, and if I were called upon to act 
the part of a Paris, I would without hesitation assign the 
apple to the chirimoya. Its taste indeed surpasses that of 
every other fruit, and Haenke was quite right when he 
called it the masterpiece of nature.” 


Travels in Peru and India. 


VENEZUELA. 


33 


The numerous varieties of hot-house grapes, which in 
your variable climate of the north require so much skill 
and attention to perfect their growth, here thrive without 
the least care, and the vines which you see struggling here 
and there among the trees for sotne kind of support, pro¬ 
ceed from cuttings which I brought over six years ago from 
one of the best regulated establishments in Connecticut. 

Here, too, the stately Mauritia-palm of the Orinoco, the 
date-palm of the burning Sahara, the royal-palm of Cuba 
(Oredoxa Regia), and the oil-palm of Africa (Eleis guinensis) 
commingle their majestic crowns with the dense foliage of 
the mango tree of India, the aromatic cinnamon tree of Cey¬ 
lon, the bread-fruit tree of Otaheite, and the sombre pines 
and cypress of northern regions, forming the most effective 
protection to the shade-loving magnolia and the delicate 
violet of your native woods. 

Swarms of tiny and brilliant humming-birds flutter 
amid.masses of highly-scented orange blossoms that per¬ 
fume the air around us. Any one unacquainted with that 
bijou of the feathered tribe, would mistake it at first sight 
for some of the metallic-colored beetles which dispute with 
them the nectar of the fragrant flowers, so brilliant is the 
lustre shed by both. “ Eor that peculiar charm which 
resides in flashing light combined with the most brilliant 
colors, the .lustre of precious stones, there are no birds, no 
creatures that can compare with the humming-birds. Con¬ 
fined exclusively to America—whence we have already 
gathered between three and four hundred distinct species, 
and more are continually discovered—these lovely little 


34 


VENEZUELA. 


winged gems were to the Mexican and Peruvian Indians 
the very quintessence of beauty. By these simple people 
they were called by various names, signifying 1 the rays of 
the sun,’ ( the tresses of the day-star,’ and the like.” * 

You may have noticed in your conservatories at home 
a well known creeper called the passion-flower, on account 
of a fancied similarity in the arrangement of its inflor 
escence with the instruments of torture employed in the 
martyrdom of the Saviour, such as the crown of thorns, 
the three nails, the hammer, and even the spots of sacred 
blood round the pillar of agony. The plants of this genus 
are general favorites with northern horticulturists only on 
account of the beauty and delicious aroma of their flowers, 
for they bear no fruit with you; but here, this constitutes 
their principal merit, especially that of the granadilla , 
which you may perceive intertwining its graceful vines 
amongst yonder arbor set up for its support. Huge water¬ 
melon-like fruits hang from its delicate tendrils as if sus* 
pended by a thread; cut open one of them; you will find 
it filled with a nectarian juice, which, when crushed in the 
mouth, regale yoUr palate with the compound flavor of 
the strawberry and the peach. Other varieties of passion¬ 
flower—of which there are many though less pretentious 
in size than the granadilla—bear fruit equally rich in 
flavor. Unfortunately, not all fructify in the same local¬ 
ity, as they require different degrees of temperature, and 
maybe of atmospheric pressure, also, to ripen their fruit, 
which they cunningly obtain for themselves by “ squatting ” 

* Gosse’s “ Romance of Natural History.” 


VENEZUELA. „ 35 

of their own accord higher up or lower down the mountains, 
as the case may be. 

I could still point out to you many other delicious fruits 
in this garden were they in season, such as the tuna or 
Indian-fig, borne by the nopal, a species of cactus, on the 
fleshy, downy stems of which the cochineal insect is reared 
for those most valuable crimson and scarlet dyes u which 
far outshine the vaunted productions of ancient Tyre ; ” and 
the pitahaya, of the same family of plants, notable for the 
size and effulgence of its flowers. “ It begins to open as 
the sun declines, and is in full expanse throughout the 
night, shedding a delicious fragrance, and offering its brim¬ 
ming goblet, filled with nectarious juice, to thousands of 
moths, and other crepuscular and nocturnal insects. When 
the moon is at the full in those cloudless nights whose love¬ 
liness is only known in the tropics, the broad blossom is 
seen as a circular dish nearly a foot in diameter, very full 
of petals, of which the outer series are of a yellowish hue, 
gradually paling to the centre, where they shine in the 
purest white. The numerous recumbent stamens surround 
the style, which rises in the midst like a polished shaft, the 
whole growing in its silvery beauty under the moonbeams, 
from the dark and matted foliage, and diffusing its delicious 
clove-like fragrance so profusely that the air is loaded with,, 
it for furlongs round.”* 

I well remember one night when a distinguished for¬ 
eigner, General Devereux, who rendered the patriot cause 
so marked a service by bringing over the Irish Legion to 


* Romance of Natural History. 


86 


VENEZUELA. 


assist this country in her struggle for independence, honored 
me with a visit while keeping bachelor’s hall in this—to me 
then—earthly paradise. The Queen of Night was shining 
in all her glory, and the air redolent with the perfume of 
many exquisite flowers, among others that of the pitahaya 
'just described, while the stillness that reigned around the 
spot, added to my youthful dreams of fairy lands I had 
lately visited across the seas, made me feel a particular 
pride about our mansion in the capital. Although the old 
hero was perfectly blind—as will be recollected by many 
who knew him in the United States where he resided after¬ 
wards—I could not resist the wish to invite him to take a 
stroll about the garden. As we passed close to the flow r ers 
of the pitahaya, the gallant old soldier stopped suddenly, 
and seizing me by the hand with an emotion that made me 
feel the deepest sympathy for the blind man, said : “ How 
happy you must be here, my young friend, surrounded as 
you are by plants that shed such heavenly perfume ! ” But 
when we passed a bower of English honeysuckles, which was 
my special favorite, as I had planted it with my own hands, 
his emotions were indeed those of a man who felt as though, 
everything on earth was lost to him—s’weet home, friendly 
associations, the world itself in fact, and that he was only a 
wandering spirit in a strange sphere. 

This, my good companion, reminds me too that such, 
more or less, is my own situation in this my native land, 
subject as it has been for years to political convulsions more- 
disastrous to the peacefully inclined, than those subterranean 
fires which agitate the soil from time to time. Therefore 


VENEZUELA. 


87 


our rambles in the capital must be of short duration, and 
following the rout already pointed .out by the traveller Sul¬ 
livan, we will proceed on our journey towards the fertile 
valley of Aragua, stopping for the night at Las Adjuntas, a 
village delightfully situated at the foot of another lofty 
range of mountains which separates this from that of Cara¬ 
cas, near the junction of two mountain streams that form 
the Rio Guaire which passes near the capital. 

Should you ever be troubled with nervousness or dys¬ 
pepsia from too close application to business, or even be 
threatened with that more serious complaint of cold cli¬ 
mates, consumption, don’t let your Doctor bother you with 
physic, nor delude yourself with a trip “down South,” 
Cuba, or even Europe; all this may at best prolong a mis¬ 
erable existence a little longer; instead of that, come here 
at once; bring plenty of books to while away the dolce far 
niente of this quiet place ; or if you are a sportsman, your 
gun ’ and fishing tackle; when sufficiently convalescent to 
undergo the fatigues of the journey, buy or hire horses for 
yourself and a good peon or guide, and start for the llanos, 
where you will have to rough it out as I did some years 
ago, and I guarantee you a radical cure. 

At Las Adjuntas we have the choice of two roads, one 
for carriages, made at great cost since Sullivan’s visit to the 
country, and the other one right over the mountains; as 
this is by far the most picturesque of the two and the one 
described by him, we will follow on his footsteps, if you 
wish to enjoy the glorious scenery, of which he says; 

" Next morning, at 3 a. m., our faithful mozo roused us, 


38 


VENEZUELA. 


—at San Pedro—and we found our mules already saddled. 
The morning was very cold, and a cloak was by no means 
disagreeable. As far as I could make out by the light of a 
most glorious moon, San Pedro must be a very picturesque 
and flourishing village. W e continued ascending through a 
thickly-wooded, mountainous path, for about three hours, 
when we found^ourselves along the summit of the mountain, 
here called Las Cocuizas. Here the scenery was truly mag¬ 
nificent. The road wound along the summit of the Sierra, 
giving alternate views of the valley of the Tuy, with the 
distant valley of Aragua on the one hand, and the valley of 
Ocumare bounded the snow-capped mountains that separate 
the valleys from the plains on the other. Out of the main 
valleys narrow little glens wind, and nestle up into the 
mountains, till lost to view. Their rounded sides, and the 
emerald brilliancy of nature’s carpet with which they were 
clothed, reminded me of some of the glens of the Cheviots. 

“ That morning’s moonlight ride along the summits of 
the sierra of Las Cocuizas was certainly one of the most 
enjoyable I ever remember. It was almost like magic, 
when as the sun began to approach the horizon, the perfect 
stillness of the forests beneath was gradually broken by the 
occasional note of some early riser of the winged inhabit¬ 
ants, till at length, as the day itself began to break, the 
whole forest seemed to be suddenly warmed into life, send¬ 
ing forth choir after choir of gorgeous-plumaged songsters, 
each after his own manner, to swell the chorus of greeting 
—a discordant one, I fear it must be owned—to the glorious 
sun i and when the morning light enabled you to see down 


VENEZUELA, 


39 


into the misty valleys beneath, there were displayed to our 
enchanted gaze zones of fertility embracing almost every 
species of tree and flower that flourishes between the Tierra 
Caliente and the regions of perpetual snow. It certainly 
was a view of almost unequalled magnificence. We were 
riding amongst apple and peach trees that might have be¬ 
longed to an English orchard, and on whose branches we 
almost expected to see the blackbird and the chaffinch; 
while a few hundred yards below, parrots and macaws, 
monkeys and mocking-birds were sporting among the palms 
and tree-ferns of a tropical climate. I consider that this 
view alone would repay any lover of fine scenery for all the 
troubles and risks of crossing the Atlantic, for I do not 
know where one to be compared with it is to be found in 
Europe.” 

This mountain takes the name of Las Cocuizas from the 
abundance of Agave plants growing here, and which impart 
such peculiar aspect to the landscape as we descend towards 
the bed of the Tuy, at the foot of the mountain. Here we 
must stop to breakfast and pass the sun before we proceed 
on our journey along the Tierra Caliente not far from our 
resting-place. 

“We found the pretty village of Las Cocuizas,” proceeds 
Sullivan, “ situated at the entrance of a delicious little glen, 
down which warbled the waters of the Tuy. The Venta , in 
fact nearly the whole village was shaded by one enormous 
saman-tree,* which to the dusty and wearied traveller gave 
it a most enticing appearance; neither did it disappoint our 


A species of Mimosa. 


40 


VENEZUELA. 


expectations, for a ©leaner room and a better breakfast 
better cooked and better served, I never wish to taste. 
This venta at Las Cocuizas is most enchanting!y situated at 
the foot of the mountain and at the entrance of the valley 
of the Tuy, which is there a mere glen ; one side is entirely 
shaded by this enormous tree, and the other overhanging 
the Tuy, which with its rocky bed and thickly-wooded, pre¬ 
cipitous banks, reminded one very much of some of the trib¬ 
utaries of the Tweed. The venta w r ould be a charming place 
to stay at for a few days’ angling in the Tuy, w T hich 1 believe 
is very good.” 

After leaving the venta of Las Cocuizas, we wade 
through the waters of the Tuy—no bridge being provided 
here—and proceed along a well graded road for carts and 
carriages skirting the base of another ridge of mountains 
until we reach the village of El Consejo, where the great 
valley of Aragua, seventy miles in length, properly com¬ 
mences. And now we are in the great coffee region, “ the 
garden of Venezuela” as it is very aptly called by common 
accord. As we ride towards the town of La Victoria, 
where we shall stop for the night, we pass several extensive 
plantations of that delicious shrub, shaded like the cacao by 
those stupendous erythrinas which you might mistake for a 
primeval forest, were it not for the uniformity of their 
growth and dazzling blossoms. Nothing in your vaunted 
system of cultivation in the North can excel the care be¬ 
stowed upon these plantations, which must be kept in the 
best order to yield handsome returns; but as we cannot 
stop to visit one of these just now, you will permit me to 


VENEZUELA. 


41 


repeat what the traveller often quoted before, says in 
regard to the region we are traversing : 

u The valleys of Aragua are the most thickly populated 
and the most highly cultivated of all the districts of Vene¬ 
zuela. The level of the valley is two thousand feet below the 
valley of Caracas, consequently the heat much more intense. 
Coffee is now the chief article of exportation from Venezuela, 
the fluctuating price of which has of late years been very 
injurious to the country. The berry grown is of a superior 
quality, and fetches a much better price than the Cuban or 
Brazilian coffee, though not quite so high as that grown in 
Jamaica. Some of the coffee and sugar estates we passed 
were on the largest scale, employing as many as two hun¬ 
dred slaves,* besides the same number of laborers. A coffee 
plantation, either in blossom or when the berry is ripe, is 
the most beautiful culture in the world. The plant itself, 
with its regular shoots like a miniature tree, and red berries,- 
is one of the most graceful shrubs I know ; and as between 
the rows of coffee-trees they usually plant plantains and 
bananas, these with their enormous clusters of yellow fruits 
and their leaves of some six or eight feet in length, add 
greatly to the effect, and give the country the appearance 
of a large fruit garden. Moreover, as it is necessary to 
plant the mango, and other large fast-growing trees, to pro¬ 
tect the ripening berry from the deluging rains and scorch¬ 
ing heats, whenever, you pass a coffee plantation, even’ in the 
hottest day in the midst of summer, when the whole face 
of the country is parched up and of an unhealthy brown 

* Slavery has since been abolished in Venezuela. 


42 


VENEZUELA. 


color, the eye is continually refreshed by the cool, verdant 
appearance of these shaded gardens.” 

I may add that the coffee of Venezuela is of various 
qualities, according to whether it is raised in Tierra Caliente 
or Tierra Fria, id est } coffee of the low, warm valleys, or 
coffee of mountainous districts ; this last is superior to the 
former, and bears in consequence the highest price in the 
market. Again, cafe trillado , and cafe descerezado , which 
means coffee dried in the berry as it is gathered, and husked 
afterwards by a tread-mill composed of a heavy wooden 
wheel revolving in a circular trough of masonry ; and coffee 
deprived at once of its pulpy covering by machinery as 
soon as it is picked, dried afterwards in the sun upon ex¬ 
tensive platforms of masonry called patios , and passed 
through different sets of machinery to deprive the grain or 
bean of the adhering shell and pellicle. The coffee thus pre¬ 
pared is superior in quality to that which is trillado for 
want of means on the part of the planter to put up the ex¬ 
pensive works required for this operation, and therefore 
bears a higher price. 

Interspersed with these plantations are others of no less 
importance to the industry of these valleys, such as indigo, 
cotton, indian-com, wheat and tobacco, all of them requiring 
the same share of careful cultivation and intelligent manage¬ 
ment. “ The road we were following,” continues Sullivan, 
“was*so well kept and so well wooded, and the hedges so 
neatly clipped, that I could hardly sometimes help fancying 
myself riding down some country lanes in England. We 
followed one lime hedge, which enclosed a coffee plantation, 


VENEZUELA. 


43 


for upwards of two miles. It was the most perfectly kept 
hedge I had seen in any country ; it was four or five feet 
high and about three feet thick, and throughout its whole 
length, I don’t believe there was a single flaw through which 
a dog could have forced its way. Several slaves were em¬ 
ployed in trimming it. In fact, in this climate, where the 
growth of all inanimate nature is unceasing, and so rapid, 
it must employ several hands continually to keep it in such 
beautiful order. The scent of the lime as we approached it 
from some parched country we had been crossing previous¬ 
ly, was most delicious.” 

As there is nothing to interest us in the towns along 
this route, we will pass by San Mateo, La Victoria and 
Turmero, all of them pleasantly surrounded by plantations^ 
until we reach Maracay, the point of our destination. On 
our way thither, we come up with that giant of the vege¬ 
table world, the Saman de Giiere, so well described by 
Humboldt in his Travels, and subsequently by Sullivan. 
As their statements are corroborative of the facts given else¬ 
where by me respecting these enormous but most graceful 
mimosas, I will here use the language of the last mentioned 
traveller about that of the hacienda de Giiere. 

“ Soon after leaving Turmero we caught sight of the far- 
famed Saman de Giiere, and in about an hour’s time arrived 
at the hamlet of Giiere, from whence it takes its name. It 
is supposed to be the oldest tree in the world, for so great 
was the reverence of the Indians for it on account of its age 
at the time of the Spanish conquest, that the Government 
issued a decree for its protection from all injury, and it has 


44 


VENEZUELA. 


ever since been public property. It shows no sign what¬ 
ever of decay, but it is as fresh and green as it was most 
probably a thousand years ago. The trunk of this magnifi¬ 
cent tree is only sixty feet high by thirty feet in circumfer¬ 
ence, so that it is not so much the enormous size of the 
Saman de Giiere that constitutes its great attraction, as the 
wonderful spread of its magnificent branches, and the per¬ 
fect dome-like shape of its head, which-is so exact and regu¬ 
lar, that one could almost fancy some extinct race of giants 
had been exercising their topiarian art upon it. The cir¬ 
cumference of this dome is said to be nearly six hundred 
feet, and the measure of its semicircular head very nearly 
as great. The saman is a species of mimosa, and what is 
curious and adds greatly to its beauty and softness is, that 
the leaves of this giant of nature are as small and delicate 
as those of the silver willow, and are equally as sensitive to 
every passing breeze.” 

And now for the most picturesque of all the towns on 
our long ride, Maracay, not on account of any architectural 
display about its buildings, for it has no pretensions of this 
kind, but for its many gardens, each house being literally 
embowered in the choicest productions of the tropics in the 
way of fruits, such as orange, lime and lemon trees, both 
sweet and sour; cairnito or star-apple, a creamy and lus¬ 
cious fruit growing upon one of the most beautiful trees 
with which I am acquainted; the same might be said of 
two other fruit-trees cultivated in these gardens, the 
mzmon and cotopriz, both bearing great bunches of an oval 
fruit the size of a pigeon’s egg, olive-green in the former, 


VENEZUELA. 


45 


and bright yellow in the latter, containing a kernel envel¬ 
oped in a - sweet, sub-acid pulp; bread-fruit trees of two 
kinds and accordingly distinguished as fruta de pan and 
pan de palo, bread-fruit and bread-tree—the former be¬ 
ing a large pulpy and greenish fruit very like an, Osage 
orange but larger, containing great numbers of chestnut-like 
seeds, which roasted or boiled taste very much like bread, 
and the latter a fruit precisely like its congener in appear¬ 
ance, but destitute of seeds, which assimilates it still more 
to the “ staff of life ” when boiled or baked, for it is beau¬ 
tifully white and compact inside. 

Jn addition to the foregoing, these gardens offer you a 
fine display of other tropical trees no less esteemed for 
their grateful shade and their delicious fruits, such as 
sapotes and sapodillas, both elegant in form as well as in 
bearing; and so is also the splendid mainey apple-tree 
(mariiea Americana) bearing great quantities of large, round 
and heavy fruits, brown outside, and golden-yellow within, 
from which marmalades and other delicacies are made by 
the charming Maracayeras. 

The family to which the famous chirimoya belongs 
(anonacise) have also three other representatives hardly 
inferior to that “ master-piece of nature,” viz.; the guand- 
bana (anona muricata) or sour-sop—an ugly name in Eng¬ 
lish for such fine fruit—from which a most cooling drink is 
made, and still finer ices the custard-apple, which needs no 
further explanation than its name to recommend it; and 
the rinon, (anona squamosa) also a custardy kindney like 
fruit, hence its name. 


46 


VENEZUELA. 


Butter being expensive, and difficult to keep in this 
climate, nature has provided a substitute for it in the fruit 
of the fine tree (Persea gratissima), consecrated, as the 
name implies, to Perseus, the son of Jupiter and Danae; 
thus showing the wisdom of the botanist over the less cul¬ 
tivated English settlers of the Caribean islands, who call it 
alligator-pear , I presume, from the fact of its being indige¬ 
nous to a country abounding in saurian reptiles, although I 
am of opinion that a creature of this sort would rather 
prefer a more substantial morsel in the shape of a fat 
Briton, to a fruit which is well adapted to the taste of 
demigods. In shape it resembles a large pear, but the 
interior of its rind is lined with a marrow-like substance 
of a yellowish color, which assimilates very nearly to but¬ 
ter, the place of which it supplies at the breakfast-table. It 
is, in fact, vegetable-butter, and many prefer it to the or¬ 
dinary kind. 

The extensive family of leguminous or pod-bearing trees 
also grace these gardens with three additional members re¬ 
markable for fine foliage and useful products, such as the 
algarroba i with hard-shelled pods, containing a number of 
brown, round seeds or beans—also very hard, enveloped 
in a farinaceous and very nutricious fecula; a fine aromatic 
resin, good for varnishes, exudes from the trunk and 
branches of this tree, and a still finer one can be extracted 
from its horny pericarp by infusion in alcohol or other ex¬ 
tractive medium ; guamos (Inga) of various kinds, with 
pellncid pods one and two feet in length, containing a 
row of beans enveloped in white, cottony pulp, most grate- 


VENEZUELA. 


47 


ful to the taste; and the unrivalled tamarind, either as 
regards beauty of foliage, brilliancy of blossoms, or the 
delicacy of its acidulous pulpy pods; these are candied 
either in a green state or when fully ripe, affording in the 
latter case a most refreshing drink to the fever-stricken in 
this climate, when made into a decoction. In blossom, the 
tamarind-tree is one of the most charming objects to behold, 
for amid its feathery, dark-green foliage, somewhat simitar 
to that of the hemlock, issues a profusion of golden-yellow 
branches of delicate flowers, almost dazzling to the eyes. 

The coco-palm, although far away from the sea-coast, its 
native habitat, also flourishes in great perfection, contribut¬ 
ing not a little to the splendor of the vegetation in these 
truly tropical gardens, with its glorious crown of mon¬ 
ster leaves. And last, though not least, the plantain and 
banana claim here the supremacy which everyone iccords 
them over all productions of the tropics. A few pit nts of 
each only are sufficient to supply a whole fam ly with )read, 
vegetables, fruit, and preserves of various finds. * We 
might be surprised,” observes Humboldt, “at the s mall 
extent of these cultivated spots, if we did not recollect that 
an acre planted with plantains produces nearly twenty 
times as much food as the same space sown with corn. In 
Europe, our wheat, barley, and rye cover vast spices >f 
ground ; and in general the arable lands touch each other 
whenever the inhabitants live upon corn. It is diherent 
under the torrid zone, where man obtains food from pi ante 
which yield more abundant and earlier harvests. ]n th^se 
favored climates the fertility of the soil is proportioned to 


48 


VENEZUELA. 


the heat and humidity of the atmosphere. An immense 
population finds abundant nourishment within a narrow 
space covered with plantains, casava, yams, and maize.” * 
Well has the immortal bard of the Torrid Zone f sung the 
marvellous exuberance of this plant in the following lines, 
which I regret to be unable.to translate. 

Y para ti el banano, 

Desmaya al peso de su dulce carga. 

El banano, primero 

De cuantos concedio bellos presentes 

Providencia a las gentes 

Del Ecuador feliz con mano larga; 

, ’ No ya de humanas artes obligado 

El premio rinde opimo ; 

No es a la podadera, no al arado, 

Deudor de su racimo. 

Escasa industria bastale cual puede 
Robar a sus fatigas mano esclava; 

Crece veloz, y cuando exhausto acaba, 

Adulta prole en torno le sucede.” 

Silva a la Zona Torrida. 

Water being abundant throughout these gardens by the 
provident care of the inhabitants in bringing it in flowing 
streams from a great distance, they present at all times of 
the year, even during the driest months of summer, the per¬ 
petual spring-like verdure which constitutes their principal 
charm. Not far from here is the fine lake of Tacarigua or 

* “ Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America.” 
f Andres Bello. 


VENEZUELA. 


49 


Valencia, which by its gradual but marked evaporation, is 
constantly adding to the already extensive area of fertile 
land nowhere to be found like it in the wide world, and 
which doubtless extorted, even from an Englishman, the fol¬ 
lowing confession: 

“ It is a great pity Venezuela is so much out of the 
high roads of travel, and that the inconveniences, for Eu¬ 
ropeans, of getting at it, are so great. It is, in my 
opinion, the most beautiful country, as regards climate, 
scenery, and productions, in the world. The inhabitants are 
intelligent, civil, and honest; and although there is no ex¬ 
cessive wealth in the country, there is, on the other hand, 
no great poverty, and actual want is unknown, where beef 
can be procured to any amount for a half penny a pound, 
and plantains and bananas almost for nothing. The inns 
are excellent, and travelling perfectly safe. You may, on 
the sides of its precipitous valleys, in a few hours, ascend 
fi’Om the productions of the torrid zone to those of the frigid. 
You may, if you like, dine off beefsteak and potatoes, cooled 
down with French claret or real London stout; or, if you 
prefer it, you may, in imitation of Leo X. and the Emperor 
Vitellius, feast your guests on joints of monkey and jaguar, 
and have jour entremets of parrots’ tongues and humming¬ 
birds’ breasts washed down with sparkling pulque, tapped 
from the graceful maguey growing at your very door. In 
fact, there is no luxury you cannot enjoy at a moderate 
expense. Servants are cheap ; and you can buy a horse for 
five shillings, though it will cost you fifteen to have him 

shod ! . The shooting on the llanos and in the mountains, 

# 

3 x 


50 


VENEZUELA. 


according to all accounts, is very grand. The woods are 
filled with jaguar and ocelot, ’to say nothing of snakes, and 
the plains with deer and wild cattle. 

“ If any kind fairy were to offer me the sovereignty of 
any part of the world out of Europe, with power to rule it 
as I choose, my choice would certainly fall on Venezuela. I 
am fully convinced it only wqnts a government strong and 
stable enough to ensure the necessary protection to capital 
and property , to render it one of the most flourishing coun¬ 
tries in the world. I look back upon the few weeks I spent 
there as amongst the most enjoyable I ever passed ; and if 
ever any opportunity was to offer of revisiting that delicious 
country, I should do so with pleasure. Any traveller, wish¬ 
ing to judge for himself, has only to go by the West India 
steamer to St. Thomas, where he meets the sailing-packet 
for Lft Guaira, which he reaches yi four or five days; and 
with a few letters of introduction, or even without any, 
hospitality will meet him on all hands, and he will never 
feel a moment hang heavy on his hands.” * 

And now, seated under the refreshing foliage of these 
paradisaical gardens, rather than expose you to the dangers 
of a demi-savage country, I will recount to you the adven¬ 
tures of a former journey, and the peculiarities of a still 
more wonderful region. 

* Sullivan.—Kambles and Scrambles in North and South America. 
t 


TEAYELS AND ADVENTUEES. 


CHAPTER I. 

THE DEPARTURE. 

“ Y groyes van sin cnento 
Paciendo tu verdura desde el llano 
Que tiene por lindero el horizonte, 

Hasta el erguido monte 
De inacceeible nieve siempre cano.” 

Andres Bello, Silva (l la Zona Torrida. 

On a fine morning of a tropical December month, 
a jolly cavalcade, or rather a heterogeneous assemblage 
from the various castes composing the hulk of the pop¬ 
ulation in the Venezuelan Republic, was to be seen 
traversing the streets of the beautiful town of Mara- 
cay, in the direction of. the road leading to the Llanos 
or Pampas of Apure, a region widely celebrated for its 
wildness,-its dangers, and the many exploits, enacted 
therein. There the father of tlie writer owned exten¬ 
sive cattle-farms, and the aforesaid company proposed 
spending the remainder of the summer season in 
hunting among the untamed herds constituting .the 
wealth and commerce of that wild region. 

I shall never forget the exciting scenes of that 
eventful day ; it forms one of the most pleasing epi¬ 
sodes of my life. Full well do I remember also the 
picturesqueness of the variegated costumes of the 



52 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


riders; their red and bine ponchos flowing in the 
wind as they cantered to and fro through the unusu¬ 
ally animated streets of the little town, taking leave 
of their friends, and provisioning their saddle-bags 
with the necessaries they required; the trampling 
and neighing of horses ; the parting adieux and wav¬ 
ing of handkerchiefs in the hands of lively brunettes, 
as we defiled under the windows and balconies of the 
Calle Beal, crowded with anxious relatives, friends, 
and sweethearts of many a gallant cavalier, who 
might never return from his distant and perilous 
journey. For my part, I confess, that although for 
sundry reasons I regretted departing from our roman¬ 
tic abode in the valleys of Aragua, still, so great was 
my desire to visit the land of the wild bull and croco¬ 
dile, that for several nights before leaving home I 
dreamed of nothing but wild scenes and terrible en¬ 
counters with the lords of the savannas. 

The method of conducting a South American 
cattle farm is entirely different from that usually 
practised among the more peaceful scenes of the 
North American prairies. Here the cattle, accus¬ 
tomed from their birth to the friendly voice of man, 
readily obey his commands and follow him instinc¬ 
tively wherever he leads them. In the plains of 
South America, on the. contrary, the herds hear no 
other than the voice of Nature in her sublimest 
moods, in the thunders of the storm, and when in 
her vernal showers she calls upon the crocodiles and 
other drowsy reptiles, awakening them from their 
periodical summer’s lethargy; and nightly the roar 
and screams of savage beasts answering each other in 


THE DEPARTURE. 


53 


the darkness. The cattle, thus roaming over exten- 
siye plains, and free of all restraint, necessarily require 
to be occasionally collected together for the purpose 
of branding and marking the young calves, which in¬ 
crease there with* astonishing rapidity. If this pre¬ 
caution were neglected, they would in time become 
so dispersed over those boundless plains, as to be al¬ 
together irreclaimable. This operation cannot be ac¬ 
complished, however, without a great number of men 
and horses, both well trained to and thoroughly ac¬ 
quainted with this demi-savage occupation. There¬ 
fore we mustered now quite a little army of Llane- 
ros , or natives of the Llanos, who are the only indi¬ 
viduals capable of prosecuting and successfully per¬ 
forming the arduous duties appertaining to these cat¬ 
tle forays. 

Our retinue presented pretty much the appearance 
of an oriental caravan ; it consisted of more than a 
hundred individuals of all grades and colors; from 
the bright, rubicund faces of merry England’s sons, 
to the jetty phiz of the native African, all of whom, 
notwithstanding, fraternized as though sprung from 
the same race. 

Our company, moreover, had been organized as 
if for a military campaign, and formed the nucleus of 
a more extensive camp, to be increased by additions 
from different places along the route. The leader— 
General Paez—besides having acquired in early life 
a practical knowledge of this peculiar warfare, pos¬ 
sessed in addition the rare gift of being—in the opin¬ 
ion of many—“ the first rider in South America,” 


54 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


and withal the most accomplished Llanero in the Re¬ 
public. His dispositions were accordingly mader in 
a manner most likely to insure success in this strange 
campaign ; passing in review every person and every 
object, with as scrupulous care as "he bestowed upon 
the legions under his command in the long strife for 
his country’s freedom; distributing each particular 
horse with reference to the skill and special duties of 
liis rider, and every load according to the strength of 
each beast of burden. 

Next in importance to the Leader was a Surgeon 
and Physician, whose valuable services were to be 
frequently called into requisition. Although we were 
not now to encounter powder and ball, we had to 
deaf with no less dangerous enemies in the form of 
wild bulls, snakes, and crocodiles, without reckoning 
the pestiferous marshes of the country. 

After our Surgeon came the Treasurer; his duty 
was to conduct safely the military chest of the expe¬ 
dition, consisting of sundry bags of hard dollars, pon¬ 
chos, checkered linen handkerchiefs of the peculiar 
pattern worn with so much pride by Llaneros on the 
head, knives, sword blades, and various other articles 
of barter which they prize more than money itself, 
and for the attainment of which they labor hard and 
even expose their lives. 

To me was assigned the honorable post of Secre¬ 
tary to the expedition, whose pleasant duty was to 
keep its records, and at times those of the political 
u Bulls and Bears ” of the country at large. At¬ 
tached to this office were an English amateur of wild 
sports, an English artist of considerable merit, and a 


TIIE DEPARTURE. 


55 


few others, who, like myself, not being sufficiently 
trained to the hard operations of the field, were forced 
to be content with the tamer occupations of the cattle 
farm, and only an occasional foray among the smaller 
game of the savannas. 

I will mention two other individuals, who, al¬ 
though filling less exalted positions than the preced¬ 
ing—being the cook and the washerman—were very 
necessary to our comfort; not that we felt over-scru¬ 
pulous with regard to the dressing of either ourselves 
or that of the savory dishes of the Llanos—where I 
relished a beafsteak au naturel with as much gusto 
as though prepared by the Delmonicos or Maillards 
of New York—but an early cup of coffee was a lux¬ 
ury not to be despised, and an occasional scouring of 
our scanty wardrobe was equally an essential. The 
cook was a mulatto by birth, whose name—Monico— 
bore some similarity to that of the distinguished 
caterer of William street, and was as great a favorite 
with us as the latter is among the “ down town ” 
gentry of the great city, not only on account, of his 
good nature and skill in the preparation of the deli¬ 
cious beverage before mentioned, 

“ que en los festines 
La fiebre insana templara & Lieo,” 

but also for the aid he lent his companions in mend¬ 
ing their tattered garments, being as accomplished a 
tailor and shoemaker as cook. Gaspar, the washer¬ 
man, was a lame negro rather advanced in years, but 
with all the vivacity of his race still sparkling in his 
eyes. He had earned some reputation in his time as 
a brave soldier during the protracted war of Inde- 


56 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

pendence, but, disabled now by a bullet and sundry 
tiger scars, testimonials of bis good service in the 
cause of humanity, could perform no other work than 
the rather feminine one allotted to him on this occa¬ 
sion. He, however, possessed other accomplishments, 
among which the chief was that of recounting his ad¬ 
ventures in the wars and with the wild beasts of the 
field, which made him a desirable companion and 
general favorite. 

Poor fellows ! they are both dead, and their bones, 
as well as those of most of that little band of heroes, 
are now bleaching in the hot sun of the tropics, 
amid the waving grass of those savannas once ren¬ 
dered famous by their deeds of valor and enlivened 
by their chivalrous songs. After faithfully following 
their leader through dangers and hardships no less 
terrible than those of the battle-field, one by one they 
fell, not by foe “ in battle arrayed, 5 ’ nor the terrible 
stroke of the wild bull, but by the assassin’s treach¬ 
erous hand, and those of the unprincipled myrmidons 
of military misrule ; not because of their political in¬ 
fluence in the councils of the Nation, but for being 
the faithful followers of their beloved Chieftain. 

The reader has now been introduced to those con¬ 
stituting the Stalf of the expedition ; but in addition 
a host of attendants and idlers formed the rank and 
file of this motley assemblage. Each one of these had 
a special duty to perform. Some were asistentes , or 
the personal attendants of the former, as no bianco 
ventures to travel in the Llanos without some cicerone 
of the country to guide him over the trackless wastes, 
to saddle his horse, and see that both horse and rider 


THE DEPARTURE. 


57 


V 


are comfortably quartered for the night. Others were 
appointed to conduct the beasts of burden, of which 
there were a formidable array ; while the most ex¬ 
perienced riders were intrusted with the care and 
guidance of our madrina , or pack of supernumerary 
horses, which formed by far the most efficient ele¬ 
ment of our expedition. 

Our drove consisted of about two hundred spirited 
chargers, as swift and slim as. any that ever tramped 
the hot sands of Yemen or the Sahara ; these were to 
be reinforced with fresh relays from the cattle farms, 
to supply the place of those which might be carried 
off from various causes during those exciting hunts. 

The only method of travelling as yet adopted in 
the country is on horseback. This is at first somewhat 
fatiguing to those unaccustomed to long journeys; 
but the traveller soon becomes inured to it, and ends 
by preferring it to any other, on account of the exhil¬ 
arating sensation of independence he experiences ; at 
all events, it is the most convenient that can be adopted 
in a country which, like the Pampas, is subject to 
vast inundations, and overgrown in all its extent by 
the rank herbage-of the savannas. On the mountains, 
mules are usually preferred for their surefootedness, 
as also for their astonishing endurance of hunger and 
fatigue ; but in the Pampas, where journeys must be 
accomplished with great expedition and rapidity, they 
are comparatively worthless from the shortness of 
their gait, and also because their hoofs.become soft¬ 
ened by the marshy soil which everywhere prevails, 
they being never shod,, owing to a mistaken notion 
of the riders, who believe that by so doing the sure- 


58 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


footedness of the animal is impaired. The best horses, 
consequently, had been selected' on this occasion, but 
were not to be saddled until we reached the Llanos. 
These were all collected into a madrina or drove, to¬ 
gether with the vaqueros or horses destined for the 
chase, and placed under the charge of half a dozen 
experienced Llaneros, who were to drive them loose 
across the country. In the mean time we would per¬ 
form on mules the first four days of our journey, 
which lay across the rough and hilly country be¬ 
tween the valleys and the plains. As beasts of bur¬ 
den, mules are particularly serviceable; in view of 
this we had collected a pack of about twenty for the 
purpose of transporting our loads, consisting partly, 
as I have observed, of various descriptions of goods 
for distribution among the Llaneros, in part payment 
of their wages; but the greater number were laden 
with our own chattels and provisions; for although 
the Llanos are justly regarded as a land of plenty, the 
habitations are yet so widely distant, that it is expe¬ 
dient to provide for all contingencies. 

Our road, at times, lay across extensive fields of 
sugar cane, indigo, and tobacco; or through vast 
plantations of Erithynas ( bucarales ) raised for the 
protection of the shade-loving Cacao trees, loaded 
with the luscious bean that yields its “ divine food ” * 
to gods and mortals. At other times, extensive tracks 
of waste lands (rdstrojos) overgrown with a luxuriant 
vegetation, intercepted the line of our march, giving 

* Linnaeus, in his enthusiasm for the delightful beverage obtained from 
the cacao bean, named the plant that produces it theobroma —food for 
the gods. 


THE DEPARTURE. 


59 


the country a wild and desolate aspect. Land is so 
cheap and plentiful in Venezuela, that it is always 
more advantageous for the planter, whenever the 
land has become exhausted with repeated cultivation, 
to clear a new patch of ground for his crop, than ^o 
trouble himself about restoring to the ground by ar¬ 
tificial means what nature will provide in the course 
of time. The rapidity with which a patch of waste 
land, that only a year or two before had been aban¬ 
doned as unserviceable, becomes covered with an ex¬ 
uberant vegetation in the tropics, is quite extraordi¬ 
nary. Hardly have the plough and hoe of the indus¬ 
trious husbandman ceased to harass the land with 
their incessant toil, when an entirely different crop 
of indigenous plants, which had been silently, strug- 
glingfor existence, now make their appearance, and 
change the aspect of the landscape with new forms 
of vegetation. Insignificant weeds at first, scarcely 
worth noticing, they soon attain sufficient strength to 
arrest the progress of any stragglers that might have 
remained of the plantation. In a short time they 
have acquired the size and form of well-developed 
trees, with boughs spreading far above a man on 
horseback; and before two summers have elapsed, 
not a vestige remains of what was once a flourishing 
plantation. An endless variety of creepers, such as 
convolvulus, bignonias, and passion flowers, now find 
support among their numerous branches, forming 
with them the most picturesque bowers and arcades, 
or hanging by their sides in graceful garlands and 
festoons of the most exquisite beauty. Our troop of 
supernumerary horses, as if unwilling to leave behind 
1 * 


60 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


these delightful retreats, did not fail to profit by the 
tangled nature of the cover, frequently eluding the 
vigilance of the drivers, and dashing forward when¬ 
ever they saw an opening to decamp. The most 
skilful management on the part of the drivers was 
then required to disentangle them from the thick 
jungle ; otherwise we should have arrived at the end 
of our journey with less than half their number. It 
was quite amusing to see those reckless fellows glid¬ 
ing here and there through the tangled woods in full 
pursuit of the refractory animals, now hanging from 
one leg down the sides of their steeds, or stretched 
over their necks to avoid being lifted from the saddle 
by the intervening branches. In spite of all precau¬ 
tion^ and the vigilance of .their drivers, we missed 
several valuable hunters in the course of the journey, 
every one of which made his way back to the potreros 
or old grazing grounds with inferring precision. So 
remarkable is this peculiarity in horses of one place 
driven across a strange country, and the cunning 
they display in effecting their escape, that although 
we left instructions along the route to secure all de¬ 
serters, most of those we missed at a considerable 
distance from Maracay, made their way back across 
the fields, avoiding in their flight the public roads 
and populated district^ through which we had passed. 

Late in the evening we reached San Luis de Cura, 
a town of some importance on our route. Although 
we had there many friends of whose hospitality we 
could have availed ourselves, we preferred passing 
the night at a Pulperia , or country inn, a short dis¬ 
tance in advance—hotels being yet unknown in that 


THE DEPARTURE. 


61 


part of tlie country. Our numerous retinue, and 
especially our horses, accustomed to the unrestrained 
freedom of the pot/rero —an enclosed field attached to 
the Pulperia^— precluded all idea of seeking accom¬ 
modations within the narrow limits of a city residence. 
Declining, therefore, all invitations to that effect, we 
pushed on to a place called El Rodeo, a few miles 
further. 

San Luis de Cura—or Villa de Cura, as it is 
usually called—is a sort of entrepot to which the 
people of the Llanos resort from time to time to bar¬ 
ter the products of their farms for those of foreign 
manufacture, retailed there by country traders. It 
is, in fact, the connecting link between the agricul¬ 
tural and pastoral sections of the republic ; hence we 
find there the strangest admixture of wild and civil¬ 
ized manners and costumes curiously intermingled in 
all the pursuits and vocations of the people. Thus we 
often meet with persons of respectability clad in the 
elegant city dress, and riding a horse entirely capar¬ 
isoned in the gaudy attire of the Llanos, and vice 
versa . 

Our accommodations at the inn were not of the 
most inviting description, neither its apartments nor 
the potrero affording much comfort to the weary car¬ 
avan after their long ride. A stony bank on tho 
slope of the barren hill for couch and the broad dome 
of heaven for roof, with not even posts enough from 
which to sling our hammocks, was all the hospitality 
we received at the Pulperia. We slept soundly not¬ 
withstanding, softening our beds of pebbles by spread¬ 
ing our ponchos over them, while each man’s saddle, 


62 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


serving at once as pillow and larder, furnished us 
with supper on this occasion. The llanero sad¬ 
dle is admirably adapted for the rough journeys of 
the country, and though somewhat ponderous, ren¬ 
ders good service to the wandering Llanero in his 
long peregrinations. These saddles, usually styled 
vaqueras , in allusion to the occupations of the riders, 
appear to be modelled after the gay accoutrements of 
the Arabs; the same profusion of silver ornament and 
bright-colored trimmings of morocco, the high peak 
in front, and still higher cantle behind. A comfort¬ 
able jpellon or shabrack, made either of an entire 
sheepskin or horse hair dyed black and neatly braided 
at one end, covers the entire seat, and hangs from it 
in graceful folds. Numbers of bags and pockets— 
bolsas —made of the same material as the saddle, and 
in keeping with the rest, are affixed to it for the pur¬ 
pose of stowing away all those little commodities so 
essential to the traveller on a long journey, such as 
papelon, a sort of brown sugar in cakes resembling 
maple sugar, cheese, cakes of Indian corn, and aguar¬ 
diente, a beverage equally celebrated for its use and 
its abuse. The stirrups, which are usually carved from 
a block of wood, present the peculiarity of being 
longer and heavier than any ever adopted by eques¬ 
trians. Although termed africanos , they are just the 
reverse of their cognomens, as can be seen by com¬ 
paring the subjoined designs. 

An expert rider never places his whole foot in the 
stirrup, as is the case with the Arabs, but holds it 
with his big toe, so as to disentangle himself readily 
in case of a fall. This habit gives a crooked shape to 


THE DEPARTURE. 


63 


the feet and legs of the rider, which peculiarity en¬ 
titles him to the credit of being a good horseman. 



The carvings on some of these stirrups are very 
fanciful, and display considerable taste. Their beauty 
is thought to consist chiefly in the two triangular ap¬ 
pendages at the bottom with which they urge on their 
horses. 

The cobija or poncho is also a most indispensable 
commodity on these long journeys ; and no traveller 
should omit providing himself with one, especially 
during the rainy season. It is fully six feet square, 
with a hole in the centre to admit the head, and its 
office is twofold, viz., to protect the rider and his 
cumbrous equipment from the heavy showers and 
dews of 'the tropics, and to spread under him when 
there is no convenience for slinging the hammock. 
It also serves as a protection from the scorching rays 
of the sun, experience having taught its wearer that 
a thick woollen covering keeps the body moist and 
cool by day, and warm by night. The poncho used 
in Venezuela is made double, by sewing together two 
different blankets, the outside one being dark blue 
and the inner one bright red, which colors, as is well 
known, are differently acted upon by light and heat. 
By exposing alternately the sides of the poncho to 




64 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


the light according to the state of the weather, those 
modifications of temperature most agreeable to the 
body are obtained. Thus, when the day is damp and 
cloudy, the dark side of the poncho, which absorbs 
the most heat, is turned towards the light, while the 
reverse is the case when the red surface is presented 
to the sun. On the same principle, the manta , or 
white linen poncho, is worn when the sun is very 
powerful, the color in this instance repelling the rays 
of light more readily than the red surface of woollen 
materials. The manta is a very expensive luxury on 
account of the embroideries that usually decorate it, 
and which might rival in elegance the finest skirt 
of a New York or Parisian belle* When worn by a 
gallant cavalier on a sunny day, it presents in the 
distance a very picturesque appearance, not unlike 
the graceful bornousq of the Arabs. 

Equally useful and expensive is the hammock, one 
of the few articles of native manufacture produced in 
Venezuela, and one which has thus far baffled the 
ingenuity of foreign weavers to imitate. It is woven 
by hand on looms of rude construction in very tasteful 
designs, and trimmed with fringings of the most com¬ 
plicated pattern. A fine hammock costs from fifty 
to sixty dollars. 

It may truly be said that with hammock, poncho, 
and the saddle with its array of pockets, &c., the 
roving dwellers of the pampas are at home wherever 
they may be. They are, in fact, the tent, bed, and 
valise best adapted to the country, affording them all 
the comfort that a princely rajah could, experience 
under his gorgeous panoply of oriental magnificence, 


THE DEPARTURE. 


65 


and possessing, moreover, the advantage of being 
easily conveyed from place to place, in a small compass, 
by the riders. The hammock and the poncho usu¬ 
ally form a bundle behind the saddle ; with them the 
traveller makes himself a tent w T hen camping out, 
by stretching out a rope from end to end of the ham¬ 
mock, over which the poncho is thrown at oblique 
angles, and then tied securely to the rope. Under it 
the traveller may now defy the storm, and even Old 
Boreas himself, as the stronger the tent is impelled to 
and fro, the more lulling to the sleeper will be the 
motion imparted to it from the outside. 

It is surprising to see a horse of so small stature as 
those from the Llanos generally are, carry on his 
back both the weight of the rider and his ponderous 
equipment for such considerable distances; but the 
fact is, that the loads are so well distributed and 
counterbalanced, that the animals feel no material in¬ 
convenience therefrom. 


CHAPTER II. 


THE MOEEOS. 

Eaely the next morning we were aroused by the 
trampling of horses and tinkling of stirrups close to 
our resting places, apprising us that the hour of de¬ 
parture was near at hand. To travel with comfort in 
those hot regions, it is necessary to make the most of 
the absence of the sun, before its rays descend to the 
earth in glowing streams, parching the body and 
spirits of the traveller. Our people, therefore, com¬ 
menced to saddle and load as early as three o’clock 
a. m. The operation usually occupied considerable 
time, as each animal had to be hunted in the dark, as 
well as its accoutrements. The baggage mules, espe¬ 
cially, required more than ordinary skill in replacing 
and adjusting the loads upon their backs by means of a 
hundred turns of the lazos , or raw-hide halters. And 
even after the greatest precautions, the vicious creatures 
endeavored to displace their loads by running against 
each other or rolling on the ground, to the inconceiv¬ 
able disgust of the drivers, who were often compelled 
to alight from their sumpters to put things to rights. 

Our road lay this day across a wild and desolate 
valley, presenting the appearance of having once been 


THE MORROS, 


07 


the scene of violent convulsions of nature, judging 
from the distorted masses of granite and gneiss piled 
along the route. The morning, though moonless, was 
bright with stars, which in those latitudes sparkle like 
diamonds in a setting of azure. The air was balmy ; 
and the solitude of the spot, only broken- by the occa¬ 
sional shriek of a night owl, or the refreshing murmur 
of a mountain stream, was truly sublime. 

Slowly winding our course down the ruggedsides 
of a deep ravine, we came suddenly in view of a most 
glorious spectacle. The delicate tints of dawn were 
already gilding the rugged crest of the distant moun¬ 
tains ; above these rose in silent grandeur what ap¬ 
peared at first a heavy cloud of an intense blue, the 
irregular outlines of which set in bold relief against 
the transparent sky, forming the background to the 
picture. I eagerly spurred my mule forward to gain 
an eminence from whence I could contemplate more 
advantageously that magnificent spectacle, when, to 
my great astonishment, I discovered that, what I had 
supposed a cloud, was in fact the famous promontory 
known as the Morros de San Juan, the singular con¬ 
formation of which has given rise to many specula¬ 
tions and legendary dissertations on the part of sa¬ 
vants and others less versed in scientific researches. 
When the sun rose above the horizon, a more extra¬ 
ordinary scene was never unfolded to the eye of the 
spectator. The huge and rugged mountain, some 
thousand feet high, stood in the midst of a desolate 
gulf, apparently of volcanic origin; while the vege¬ 
tation, stunted and scrubby for want of adequate 
nourishment, contrasted singularly with the granite 


68 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


masses scattered all over the valley. The meandering 
rivulet of La Puerta, twice the scene of sanguinary 
conflicts between patriots and Spaniards, threaded its 
sparkling way through that Yalley of Death, to mix 
its waters with those of the beautiful Guarico in the 
distance. In both of those engagements the arms of 
Spain were victorious; but, as often happened in 
those days of guerra a muerte , the victors steeped 
their laurels in the blood of the vanquished with 
unsparing hand. These triumphs were shared alter¬ 
nately by the monster Boves and the sanguinary 
Morillo. It would be difficult to And two more 
bloody wretches than these myrmidons of despotism, 
■whose very names are to this day the avenging cry 
against the race from which they both sprang. The 
forces opposed to them in these engagements hardly 
amounted to one-half their own numbers; but the 
patriots under Bolivar accepted the battle with the 
despair of men who have no alternative between 
death and an ignominious yoke. It is asserted that 
the rivulet became, on both occasions, completely 
glutted with the gore and dead bodies of the van¬ 
quished. Morillo had a very narrow escape from the 
lance of the famous Juan Pablo Farfan, who delibe¬ 
rately attacked the Spanish chieftain in the midst 
of his staff. Although the bold Llanero succeeded 
in piercing the groin of the Spaniard with his lance, 
the wound was not sufficiently deep to cause his 
death. 

The rugged crest of the mountain surrounded by 
an atmosphere resplendently clear, the wild and 


THE MORROS. 


69 


shattered rocks, piled like the giant skeletons of an 
extinct race, together with the painful associations 
connected with the spot, made an impression upon 
my mind not easily forgotten. 

Although I had often experienced a keen desire 
to see this natural wonder of my country, I could not 
repress a feeling of regret at the recollection of the 
sanguinary scenes enacted on this spot, and that my 
first impressions of astonishment should be replaced 
by others of a less pleasing character. 

On awakening from the reverie into which the’ 
scene had plunged me, I perceived for the first time 
that I was alone, my less contemplative companions 
having proceeded on their journey while I was ab¬ 
sorbed in wonder. I felt glad of my solitude, for the 
very silence seemed to breathe a prayer to the Al¬ 
mighty for the martyred children of Liberty before 
one of his most glorious temples. 







70 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


We reached the village of San Juan in time to 
breakfast at the house of our excellent friend Don 
Jose Pulido, a gentleman of most amiable and hospi¬ 
table disposition. While they prepared our morning 
meal, I repaired to the outskirts of the village to 
sketch the Morros, which from the distance appeared 
two huge castles in ruins. The continued action of the 
waters has furrowed the sides of the mountain—com¬ 
posed principally of a peculiar limestone—into many 
fantastic forms. The same wearing action has in like 
manner perforated the calcareous rock into a thousand 
subterranean passages or chasms of fathomless depth, it 
being asserted by persons who have approached suffi¬ 
ciently near the entrance of these caves, that a bowl¬ 
der rolled down the abyss, is never heard to strike 
the bottom. I regretted exceedingly that our short 
stay at this place would not permit me to visit the 
interior of the main entrance to these subterranean 
passages, no person ever having ventured within the 
dark abode—as it is currently believed—of demons 
and the like. As a proof of this assertion, the villa¬ 
gers point out to the inquisitive traveller a spring 
issuing from that Tartarus highly charged with sul¬ 
phurated hydrogen gas, the fumes of which are in 
themselves sufficiently powerful to convey the idea 
that something diabolical must be brewing in the 
bowels of the stupendous mountain. The spring, 
however, possesses highly medicinal virtues ; on this 
account it is often visited by invalids from various 
parts of the country, especially those affected with 
rheumatic or scrofulous complaints. 

During a heavy freshet, the bones of an antedi- 


THE MORROS. 


71 


luvian animal, supposed to be those of a mastodon, 
were disinterred by the torrent in the bed of a ravine. 
A portion of these bones were sent to us by our zeal¬ 
ous friend Don Jose, as a great curiosity ; as such 
they were transferred to the British Minister at Ca¬ 
racas, and finally consigned by him to the. great 
Museum in London. 

The village of San Juan is likewise noted for its 
fine climate and the total absence of epidemics. In¬ 
valids affected with pulmonary complaints find there 
also an air and temperature most congenial. Beyond 
these advantages, San Juan offers no other attrac¬ 
tions to the stranger capable of inducing a longer 
sojourn than is absolutely necessary, as not even a 
ranch has been raised there for the convenience of 
those seeking its beneficent waters. 

After partaking of a substantial breakfast, com¬ 
posed of the most popular dishes of the country, such 
as came fvita , sancocho , and some delicious fish from 
the river Guarico, we bade adieu to our estimable 
host, Don Jose, and continued our journey down the 
stony bottom of a narrow quebrada or ravine, noted 
for its many windings, and the quantities of sharp 
stones that pave the way ; these are evidently the 
detached fragments, of the basaltic formation consti¬ 
tuting the base of the Morros. At Flores, a miser¬ 
able country inn like all the rest along this route, we 
stopped, a few moments to refresh ourselves with 
guarajpo , a kind of cider made from the juice of sugar 
cane, or by dissolving papelon in water and allowing 
it to ferment for a few days. The guarapo of Flores 
is celebrated .throughout the country, and no person 


72 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

passing through this place ever omits to call for it. 
When mixed with aguardiente, it forms what is 
termed carabina , (carbine;) the effects rarely fail to 
knock down those who rashly brave its fire. 

Our next stopping place was the village of Ortiz, 
a little beyond that of Parapara. Taken together, 
they might be considered as the Pillars of Her¬ 
cules to the grassy Mediterranean of the Llanos, and 
the terminus of civilized pursuits in that quarter, as 
there you find the last vestiges of agriculture and the 
useful arts. In addition to small patches of sugar 
cane and Indian corn raised by the inhabitants for 
their own consumption, they excel in the manufac¬ 
ture of leather, saddles, and their appurtenances, 
which they sell to all parts of the country. Beyond 
this, nothing is to be met wfith but wild herds of 
cattle grazing on prairies or steppes of vast extent, 
with the exception of the narrow belt of park-like 
scenery intervening between these and a ridge of low, 
rocky hills— gcderas —which skirts the ancient shore 
of the great basin of those pampas. The galeras were 
doubtless the natural rampart of that extraordinary 
body of waters which, at some remote epoch, must 
have filled the space now forming the grazing 
grounds of Venezuela, as attested- by the nature of 
the soil and the organic remains found imbedded in 
the clay. 

I noticed at Ortiz the same trap formation of the 
Morros, with extensive beds of basaltic slate protrude 
ing through the sides of the hills. Entire columns 
of this slate, varying from four to five feet in length 
by six inches diameter, are used in the village for 


THE MORROS. 


73 


paving the thresholds of houses, their quadrangular 
form adapting them perfectly for this purpose with¬ 
out any additional labor after being detached from 
the rock. The action of the waters during the untold 
lapse of ages, or perhaps the irruptions of the sea it¬ 
self when it beat against .the sides of the hills, has 
caused the partial disintegration of the rock in many 
places, and scattered the debris far and wide over 
the surrounding country. Nevertheless, vegetation 
seemed nowhere affected in the least by this vast ac¬ 
cumulation of loose stones; on the contrary, wher¬ 
ever it was favored by the depressions of the ground, 
trees of large dimensions, noted for hardness and du¬ 
rability, sprang up, forming dense forests on either 
side of the road. Foremost in the long catalogue of 
splendid timber trees of Venezuela, we found there 
growing in great perfection the Vera , or Lignum 
Vitae—Zigophylum arboreum—the wood of which is 
so hard that it turns the edge of the best-tempered 
tools; breaking or splitting it seems equally impos¬ 
sible, on account of the interweaving of its fibres, 
which cross each other in diagonal layers. This tree 
has a wide range over the country, especially near 
the sea-coast, which circumstance renders it extremely 
useful in the construction of wharves, as well as for 
the kpels of ships; the attacks of the teredo or sea- 
worm are futile upon the iron network of its fibres, 
‘on which account it can remain under water for an 
indefinite period and eventually become petrified. 
The useful Guayacan or guaiacum of the arts, a nearly 
allied species of this tree, is* also found here in the 
greatest abundance ; unfortunately it is too short to be 
4 


74 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


employed for.tlie same purposes as the former; it 
finds, however, numerous applications in naval con¬ 
struction, especially for blocks and pulleys for the 
rigging of vessels. Turners employ it likewise for 
various articles requiring extreme hardness and a 
close grain. 

The Alcornoque , a most beautiful tree, somewhat 
resembling the American elm, and scarcely inferior 
to the foregoing, raises here its graceful head above 
the rest, affording the cattle a permanent shade even 
during the driest seasons. It must not be confounded, 
however, with the well-known Spanish oak—Quercus 
suber—which yields the cork of commerce. It is 
largely employed in the Llanos in the construction of 
houses and fences. Braziletto wood—Cesalpinia bra- 
ziletto—so celebrated for its beautiful dye, is so abun¬ 
dant here also, that all the fences at Ortiz and Para- 
para are made of this valuable dyewood. 

The list of useful trees peculiar to this region 
could be extended beyond the limits of this chapter, 
were it not for the fear of taxing the patience of my 
reader with an abstract nomenclature. I cannot pass 
unnoticed, however, two other trees of no less impor¬ 
tance to £he natives, on account of their timber and 
medicinal properties ; these are the Tacamahaca — 
Elaphrium tomentosum—and the tree that yields the 
precious balsam of copaiva—Copaifera officinalis. By 
making incisions in the trunk and branches of both 
these trees, a resinous fluid, possessing great healing 
powers when applied to wounds and other ailments 
of the flesh, is obtained in great abundance and col¬ 
lected in tin cans placed under the incisions. The 


THE MORROS. 


75 


former is particularly abundant in the province of 
Guay an a, where it attains to great dimensions. Its 
resin, an opaque, lemon-colored substance resembling 
wax, is very fragrant, and when mixed with that of 
Carana or Algarroba , forms excellent torches which 
burn with great brilliancy, and emit a delicious odor. 
The bark is also remarkable as affording a material 
similar to that employed by the North American In¬ 
dians in the construction of their canoes, and used 
similarly by their brethren of the Orinoco for their 
light pirogues. With this object the Indian separates 
the bark without breaking, and cutting it of the re¬ 
quired dimensions, proceeds to join the extremities 
by means of bejucos or slender vines, filling the inter¬ 
stices with a little moist clay to throw off the water ; 
the whole is then well bound with stronger vines, 
and a couple or more sticks are affixed between the 
borders of the pirogue to prevent its collapsing 
when launched into the broad stream. 


CHAPTER IIL 


T HE LLANOS. 

We left Ortiz as usual, very early the next morn-' 
ing, stumbling here and there amidst the mass of loose 
stones which paved the way all along the winding 
bed of the quebrada. In proportion as- we advanced 
on our route, the hills decreased in size, while the 
loose stones seemed to increase in quantity. The 
splendid groves of hardy and balsamiferous trees, 
which near Ortiz formed an almost impenetrable for¬ 
est, gradually became less imposing in appearance, 
until they were replaced by thickets of thorny bushes, 
chiefly composed of several species of mimosas, with 
a delicate and feathery foliage. The traveller accus¬ 
tomed to the shade of a luxuriant vegetation, and to 
the sight of cultivated valleys, is struck by the rapid 
diminution of the former, and the total disappearance 
of the latter, as he emerges from the Galeras of Ortiz: 
yet he is somewhat compensated by the almost over- 
powerin g perfume shed by masses of the canary-colored 
blossoms with which these shrubs are loaded, from the 


THE LLANOS. 






















































































































































































































































































































































































































































THE LLANOS. 77 

summits down to the bending branches that trail the 
ground at every passing breeze. 

Suddenly we entered a widely-extended tract of 
level land almost destitute of vegetation. With the 
exception of a few clumps of palm-trees with fan-like 
leaves, nothing but sjiort grass covered its entire sur¬ 
face, almost realizing the idea of u an ocean covered 
with sea-weed.” A dense mass of vapor pervading 
the atmosphere obscured the horizon, while the fan- 
palms, seen from afar, appeared like ships enveloped 
in a fog. Gradually the circle of the heavens seemed 
to. close around us, until we became, as it were, en¬ 
compassed by the sky. We were, in fact, treading 
the shores of the great basin of the Llanos, over one 
of the ancient shoals or Mesas , which, like successive 
terraces, now form the borders of those grassy oceans 
known as the Pampas. This was the Mesa de Pay a, 
the seat of one of the cattle-farms to which we were 
bound. v 

After wandering for nearly three hours over 
this monotonous landscape without compass, and 
guided only by certain landmarks known to the 
vaqueanos , we came unexpectedly upon the borders 
of the Mesa, which commands an extensive view of 
the lower savannas. . As if by magic the dreary scene 
changed to one of the most glorious panoramas in 
existence. At our feet lay a beautiful expanse of 
meadow, fresh and smooth as the best cultivated 
lawn, with troops of horses and countless herds of 
cattle dispersed all over the plain. Several glitter¬ 
ing ponds, alive with all varieties of aquatic birds, 
reflected upon their limpid surface the broad-leaved 


78 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


crowns of the fan-palms, towering above verdant 
groves of laurel, ajnyris, and elm-like Tobies. Further 
beyond, and as far as the eye could reach, the undu¬ 
lating plain • appeared like a petrified ocean, after the 
sweeping tempest. 

But I feel that my descriptions fall short of the 
reality, and that I am unable to depict the harmo¬ 
nious effects of light and shade, and the blending of 
the various tints of green, blue and purple, dispersed 
over this extensive panorama ; the gentle undulations 
of the plain ; the towering palms gracefully fanning 
the glowing atmosphere with their majestic crowns 
of broad and shining leaves ; and myriad other beau¬ 
ties difficult to enumerate. 

I could scarcely tear myself away from the spot, 
so fascinated was I with the novelty of the scene. 
My companions, more concerned-for the speedy termi¬ 
nation of the journey than the beautiful in nature, 
set off at a brisk trot towards the house, which was 
at no great distance.. Fearing to lose my way among 
the intricate paths leading to it, I was compelled to 
follow in their wake, stopping occasionally to gaze 
once more upon those enchanting groves, which 
seemed to return • me to the highly cultivated fields 
and green meadows of glorious u Old England,” 
whence I had just returned. 

On descending to the plain below, my attention 
was attracted to an unsightly group of palm-thatclied 
huts, looking more like huge bee-hives than the 
abode of human beings. A formidable fence of palm 
trunks surrounded the premises, and several acres of 
ground beyond. These were the corrals , or enclosures 


THE LLANOS. 


79 


where the training of the fierce herds was practised 
by the hardy dwellers of the Llanos; bnt no signs of 
cultivation, or aught else connected with the rural 
occupations of the farmer, were visible in the neigh¬ 
borhood. Presently the cavalcade stopped before the 
gate, and all the individuals composing it dismounted 
and began to unsaddle their horses amidst the bark¬ 
ing of a legion of dogs, and the braying of all the 
donkeys in the vicinity. 

This was the lxato or cattle-farm of San Pablo we 
were in quest of, famous in the annals of the civil 
wars in Venezuela, as the occasional head-quarters 
of the constitutional armies, commanded by the owner 
of this farm. Our leader was received at the entrance 
of his estate, by a grave and elderly negro slave, who 
acted as overseer, and- had under his control all the 
men and property attached to it. Kneeling upon the 
stony court-yard, he kissed the hand extended to him 
in friendly greeting, after which he proceeded to un¬ 
saddle his master’s horse, which he led to a pond 
within the enclosure, where the horses were watered. 

We purposed remaining a few days at San Pablo, 
with the object of incorporating some fresh relays of 
mules and horses from the abundant stock of this 
estate: so we of the staff installed ourselves under the 
palm-roof of our rustic mansion, while the rank and 
file of the expedition found” accommodation in the 
open barracoons adjoining it; although none of the 
party had reason to boast of being better off than 
their neighbor. 

“ It is sad when pleasing first impressions are 
obliterated,” remarks a sentimental writer ; “ always 


80 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


painful to become -desenchante on a more intimate ac¬ 
quaintance with either people or places.” I soon found 
that I was not in the fairy land I had imagined, abound¬ 
ing in grottos and refreshed by sparkling fountains, 
but in the region of the Llanos where the French adage, 
chacun pour soi et Dieu pour tous , is verified to its 
fullest extent. San Pablo, with its vaunted prestige, 
and in spite of its proximity to several important 
marts, was no better provided with accommodations 
than the untidy douar of the wandering Arab of the 
Desert. A rickety table standing against the wall 
for fear of tumbling down, two or three clumsy cedar 
chairs covered with raw-hide, and a couple of grass 
hammocks, serving the double purpose of beds and 
lounges, constituted all the furniture of the great 
farm. As a substitute for wardrobes and hat-stands, 
we were shown a number of deer-antlers and bull¬ 
horns imbedded in the walls of reeds and mud, on 
which to hang our pouches, bridles, &c. I searched in 
vain, on our arrival, for something like a bowl in 
which to lave my hands and face, covered with dust 
and parched by the broiling sun of the savannas. 
Even water was so scarce that it was served to us 
sparingly from a large calabash gourd used in bring¬ 
ing it from the river, nearly a mile distant. It is true 
there was, within the enclosure of the houses, a pond 
or excavation, made while searching for the remains 
of a brave officer who fell fighting for his country’s 
freedom. Sufficient water had accumulated there 
during the rainy season to entitle it to the name of 
Laguna , of Lake of Genaro Yazquez, the name of 
the afore-mentioned hero; but it was so filled with 


THE LLANOS. 


81 


Bavas —a small species of alligator,—terrapins, and 
toads, as to render the water undrinkable. 

But to return to our head-quarters, the structure 
of which struck me so forcibly at first as a bee-hive 
of vast proportions, naturally suggesting the idea of a 
“ land of milk and honey.” Unfortunately neither 
*of these could be obtained either for love or money, 
although the woods and pastures of the . estate 
abounded in both the creatures that produced them. 
So we were compelled to resort, to our reserved stock 
of papelon to sweeten our coffee, and *to its own de¬ 
licious natural aroma in the place of milk. As to 
the house itself, it only differed from the rest in that 
region in being larger, and perhaps in better order 
than are the generality. ’ Imagine a pyramidal struc¬ 
ture, thatched with palm leaves, the roof slanting to 
within a few feet of the ground, and supported on stout 
posts of live timber, which served also as framework 
for the walls, and you will have some idea of the style 
.of architecture peculiar to the country. Doors and win¬ 
dows are of no account in a country uniformly warm 
throughout the year, and where the inhabitants pos¬ 
sess few articles capable of tempting the cupidity of 
light-fingered gentry. Therefore, an ox-hide stretched 
across the openings left in the walls to admit light and 
the inmates, is all that is required to keep off unin¬ 
vited guests. As an exception to this rule, our man¬ 
sion of San Pablo had one or two rooms set apart for 
invalids, provided with doors and windows of solid 
planks of timber in the rough ; the other apartments 
had the upper half of the walls purposely left open, 
to admit full and free entrance of light and air. A 


g2 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

narrow piazza or corridor, formed by the slanting of 
the roof to within five feet of the ground, ran along the 
entire length of the main building, and was intended 
more as a protection to the rooms against the sun and 
rains, than as a resort for the inmates. 

The first step, on arriving, was to secure a place in 
the open reception room, for my own chattels and 
hammock, before all the spare posts and hooks had 
been appropriated by my companions. This accom¬ 
plished, I proceeded to a thorough examination of my. 
saddle and its accoutrements, so as to have them 
adapted to the peculiar mode of travelling in the 
Llanos. This care I left to the good judgment of our 
attendants, not being myself sufficiently skilled in the 
art of mending, greasing, and putting in order the 
complicated gear of our riding equipment. In the 
same predicament were also my two English com¬ 
panions, and our worthy doctor; a kind word, how¬ 
ever, addressed to the good-natured Llaneros—espe¬ 
cially if accompanied with a drop of aguardiente-r- 
never failed of enlisting their services in our favor. 

Habit, as well as necessity, is sometimes the 
mother of invention, as my experience soon taught 
me that, to get along in my new quarters, it would be 
requisite to set aside the airs and insignia of civiliza¬ 
tion. Divesting myself, therefore, of all such super¬ 
fluities as coat, cravat, pants, and shoes, I adopted the 
less cumbrous attire of the Llaneros, consisting mainly 
of breeches, tightly buttoned at the knee, and a loose 
.shirt, usually of a bright checkered pattern. Shoes 
are altogether dispensed with in a country like the 
Llanos, subject to drenching rains, and covered with 


THE LLANOS. 


83 


mud during a great portion of the year, besides the 
inconvenience they offer to the rider in holding the 
stirrup securely when in chase of wild animals. The 
leg, however, is well protected from the thorns and 
cutting grass of the savannas by a neat legging or 
botin , made of buffskin, tightly buttoned down the 
calf by knobs or studs of highly polished silver. 
Another characteristic article of dress, and one in 
which the wearers take great pride, is the linen check¬ 
ered handkerchief, loosely worn around the head. Its 
object is ostensibly to.protect it from the intensity of 
the sun’s rays; but the constant habit of wearing it 
has rendered the handkerchief as indispensable a head¬ 
dress to the Llaneros as is the cravat to the neck of 
the city gentleman. 

One angle of the building was devoted to the 
kitchen, and rooms for the overseer and his family; 
the other was set apart for a store-room, suggesting 
hidden treasures of good things for the comfort of the 
inner man. Being naturally inquisitive, I lost no 
time in investigating the contents of the bodega; but 
instead of sweetmeats, fresh cheese, or even bread 
and butter,—articles of easy manufacture in the 
Llanos, on which I had feasted my imagination,—I 
found the place filled with roaches, pack-saddjes, old 
bridles, lazos, and tasajo or jerked beef. This last is 
prepared by cutting fresh beef into long strips, and 
exposing them to dry in the sun, first rubbing them 
thoroughly with salt. Animal substances spoil so 
readily in tropical climates, that unless this precau¬ 
tion's taken immediately after a bullock is slaughter¬ 
ed, the meat becomes tainted in a short time. Two 


84 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


or three days’ exposure to the hot sun of the Llanos, 
is sufficient to render the beef as dry and tough as 
leather; in this state, it may be stored away for six 
months without spoiling. The older the better; age 
imparting to it that peculiar rank flavor which makes 
tasajo so highly prized by people of all ranks in Cuba 
and other'West India Islands. Large shipments of 
this beef have been made from Venezuela to those 
places ; but the competition of Buenos Ayres lias re¬ 
duced of late the profits arising from this branch of 
our exports. The manner of killing and quartering an 
animal in the Llanos deserves particular mention. 
The cattle being usually some distance from the house, 
two horsemen are despatched after the victim; one 
of th’em gallops close to the animal’s rear, and throw¬ 
ing his unerring lazo at its head, drags it along, while 
his companion urges it on by means of his garrocha 
Or goad, until they reach the sacrificial post: one or 
two turns of the lazo around this, bring the animal 
close to the botalon • the matador then .plunges the 
point of his dagger into the vertebrae back of the head, 
and the struggling beast drops as if struck by an elec¬ 
tric spark ; a second thrust of the bloody dagger into 
his throat severs the artery, and the blood gushes in 
torrents through the wound froin every part of his. 
body. The prostrate victim is now turned upon its 
back, and a long incision made lengthwise of the 
belly, preparatory to flaying and cutting up the car¬ 
cass. When the animal is not intended to be imme¬ 
diately slaughtered, he is tied to the post by a succes¬ 
sion of coils from the lazo around his horns, and left 
there until the fatal moment comes to despatch him. 


THE LLANOS. 


85 


One night I was awakened by a terrific bellowing 
proceeding from the botalon • but, as I knew there was 
no bullock there for slaughter at the moment, I was at 
a loss how to account for this uproarious serenade. 
Curiosity led me to inquire into the cause, and direct¬ 
ing my steps towards the spot, I beheld a group of 
about a dozen bulls, smelling at the blood of their 
former companions, and ploughing up the gore with 
their hoofs, evidently in great distress. This continued 
for some time, until, finding their bewailing by moon¬ 
light rather too touching even for artists’ ears, we or¬ 
dered them to be driven away, in spite of the sublimity 
of the scene. I had other opportunities of witnessing 
similar testimonials of respect, whenever a herd of cat¬ 
tle approached the place of execution, which never 
failed to impress me deeply with a feeling of compas¬ 
sion for their sorrows. 

Every morning an animal was slaughtered for us. 
Our meals consisted of roast beef, without either vege¬ 
tables or wheaten bread. Indian corn we had in abun¬ 
dance, both in the grain and in the husk ; but before 
it could be converted into cwepas —the favorite bread 
of the country—it required to be passed through a 
variety of operations each day, which made the pro- 
. cess rather tedious, as the grain must first be hulled 
by pounding it in large wooden mortars, adding a 
handful of sand and a little water: next the grain must 
be separated from the chaff, thoroughly Washed, and 
then boiled over a slow fire. In doing this, care must 
be used, for if too soft it will not answer the purpose. 
Finally it is ground to a paste between two stones, 
formed into flat cakes, and baked in shallow pans of 



86 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

earthenware. The result of all this labor is bread 
exceedingly white and nourishing ; but it has the dis¬ 
advantage of becoming tough and unpalatable when 
cold. Under the popular name of tortillas , this bread 
is also extensively used in Mexico and Central Amer¬ 
ica, although inferior to our own. 


Even this was considered a great luxury at San 
Pablo, few other cattle-farms being provided with the 
necessary utensils for its manufacture, and still fewer 
the number of those that will grow sufficient corn for 
the consumption of their inmates. The Llaneros are 
essentially a pastoral people, and trouble themselves 
but little with the cultivation of the land, considering 
it rather derogatory to bend their heads, even to 
mother Earth. Hence their homes are usually in a 
state of utter wretchedness, being unprovided even 



THE LLANOS. 


87 


With the commonest necessaries. Although the land 
is extremely fertile, and would well repay the labor 
with abundant crops of every kind of grain, they do 
not consider bread an essential, using instead a yiece 
of boiled liver, which in their estimation answers’just 
as well. Therefore the divine command, which en¬ 
joins us to earn our daily bread by the sweat of the 
brow, is not much regarded by them. In the midst 
of countless herds, and surrounded with the most 
munificent gifts of a bountiful Providence, they are 
often even without fresh meat; not because they are 
sparing of their cattle, which in that country bears a 
nominal value, but because they are naturally abste¬ 
mious ; and as for milk and butter, they despise both 
as food only fit for children. Cheese, however, is a 
favorite article of food with them, and in its prepara¬ 
tion, they display considerable ability, especially the 
delicious kind termed queso de manos , a species of 
boiled cheese. As some , of my readers may wish to 
experiment in making it, I will give them the recipe. 
Curd the milk in the usual way, and boil the curd in 
its own whey. When about the consistency of mo¬ 
lasses candy, stretch it out repeatedly with the hands 
until cold. Add a little salt to the mass ; roll it into 
flat cakes, and hang the cheese to drain in nets sus¬ 
pended from the ceiling. When pulled, it will sepa¬ 
rate in layers which look like parchment, retaining 
all the flavor of the milk. 

The cows, being half wild in most cases, require to 
be milked by main force. To accomplish this, one 
of the dairymen throws a noose around the horns of 
the animal, and holds it secure by means of a long 


88 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


pole attached to the thong, while another proceeds to 
milk it in the usual way ; but none will yield a drop, 
unless the calf is first allowed to suck a little, and 
then tied to the mother’s knee. 

Every cow is distinguished by a fancy name, such 
as Clavellina, Flor del Campo, Marabilla, and others 
equally euphonious and poetical. When called to be 
milked, the tame ones immediately answer in sup¬ 
pressed bellowings, and come forward of their own ac¬ 
cord, while the calves confined in the pen, on hearing 
their mothers’ names, run along the’fence in search of 
the gate ; a boy, stationed there for the purpose, lets 
fall one of the bars, and off they bound after the 
mothers. 

The men perform there altogether the occupations 
allotted to women in other countries, such as milking 
the cows, curding the milk, and turning out the cheese 
when ready. They do not even disdain cooking their 
own food, and washing their own garments, when 
occasion requires. Of the women, I may be permit¬ 
ted to quote here what Sir Francis Head, in his quaint 
style, says with reference to those in the Pampas of 
Buenos Ayres, as being equally applicable to their 
sisters of the Llanos: “ The habits of the women are 
very curious: they have literally nothing to do, the 
great plains which surround them offer no motive to 
work, they seldom ride, and their lives certainly are 
very indolent and inactive. They all have families, 
however, whether married or not; and once when I 
inquired of a young woman eifiployed in nursing a 
very pretty child, who was the father of the ‘ cria- 
tura,’ she replied ‘ Quien sabe ? 9 ” * 

* Journeys across the Pampas. 


THE LLANOS. 


89 


But it is time to introduce my reader to a more 
intimate acquaintance with this singular race of peo¬ 
ple, whose manliness, bravery, and skill in waging a 
constant war, not only with the wild animals of the 
field, but against the proud legions of Iberia, entitle 
them to a place among the heroes of the earth. 


CHAPTER IV. 


THE LLANEROS. 

“ Dichoso aquel que alcanza 
Como rico don del Cielo, 

Para defender su suelo 
Buen caballo y buena lanza.” 

—Abolas. 

The people inhabiting the vast region of the 
Llanos, although claiming descent from the old Cas¬ 
tilian race, once the rulers of the land, are, in fact, an 
amalgamation of the various castes composing the 
present population of the Republic. These are, the 
whites, or the descendants of the European settlers of 
the country ; the aboriginals or Indians, and a great 
proportion of blacks. In most of the towns the native 
wdiites preponderate over all others, and represent 
the wealth, as well as the most respectable portion 
of the community ; in the villages and thinly popu¬ 
lated districts of t|ie plains, a mongrel breed result¬ 
ing from the admixture of these three, constitute the 
majority of the inhabitants. These are dispersed over 
an area of 27,000 square miles, making a proportion 


THE LLANEROS. 


91 


of only fourteen individuals, out of a population of 
390,000, to every square mile. 

This race, although vastly inferior to the first in 
mental capacity and moral worth, is endowed with a 
physique admirably adapted to endure the fatigues 
of a life beset with dangers and hardships.* Cast 
upon a wild and apparently interminable plain, the 
domain of savage beasts and poisonous reptiles, their 
lot has been to pass all their life in a perpetual strug¬ 
gle, not only with the primitive possessors of the 
land, but with the elements themselves, often as 
fierce as they are grand. When it is not the alarm 
of the dreaded viper or the spotted jaguar, it is the 
sudden inroad of vast inundations, which, spreading 
with fearful rapidity over the land, sweep off in one 
moment their frail habitations and their herds. 
Nevertheless, this insecure existence, this continual 

* Mons. de Lavayesse, in his interesting work on Venezuela, makes 
some pertinent remarks on this subject worthy of the consideration and 
study of learned physiologists. “Why is it,” he says, “that individuals 
proceeding from a mixture of African and indigenous American blood, 
have greater strength, finer forms, more intellectual faculties and moral 
energy, than the Negro or Indian? Why, although the white be, in gen¬ 
eral, superior in strength of body, mental powers, and in moral force, to 
the aboriginal American and to the negro—why, I ask, are the individ¬ 
uals born of the union of a white with an Indian woman,*(the Mestizos, 
for instance,) inferior in mental and corporeal qualities to the Zambos? 
Why are the Mestizos generally distinguished by finer figures, agreeable 
countenances, and in mildness and docility of their dispositions? Why 
is the mulatto, son of a white and a negress, superior to the Zambo in in¬ 
tellectual faculties, but his inferior in physical? Why is it, that' when 
those races are mixed, their progeny is remarkable for a more healthy 
and vigorous constitution, and for mor6 vital energy, than the individuals 
born in the same climate of indigenous European or African blood, with¬ 
out mixture ? ” 


92 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


struggle between life and death, between rude intel¬ 
lect and matter, has for the Llanero a sort of fascina¬ 
tion, perhaps not so well understood by people pos¬ 
sessing the blessings and ideas of civilization, but 
without which he could not exist, especially if de¬ 
prived of his horse and cast among the mountain 
region north of his cherished plains. The Modern 
Centaur of the desolate regions of the New World, 
the Llanero spends his life on horseback ; all his ac¬ 
tions and exertions must be assisted by his horse ; for 
him the noblest effort of man is, when gliding swiftly 
over the boundless plain and bending over his spirited 
charger, he overturns an enemy or masters a wild 
bull. The following lines of Victor Hugo seem as 
though copied from this model: “ He would not fight 
but on horseback ; he forms but one person with his 
horse ; he lives on horseback ; trades, buys, and sells 
on horseback; eats, drinks, sleeps, and dreams on 
horseback.” Like the Arab, he considers his horse 
his best and most reliable friend on earth, often de¬ 
priving himself of rest and comfort after a hard day’s 
journey to afford his faithful companion abundance 
of food and water. It is not at all surprising, there¬ 
fore, to hear the bard—all Llaneros are poets more or 
less—exclaim, after the loss of both his wife and val¬ 
ued horse: 

Mi muger y mi caballo 
. Se me murieron 4 un tiempo; 

Que muger, ni que demonio, ' 

Mi caballo es lo que siento. 

My wife and my valued horse 
Died both at the same time; 

To the devil with my wife, 

For my horse do I repine. 


THE LLANEROS. 


93 


Few people in the world are better riders than 
the Llaneros of Venezuela, if we except perhaps the 
Gauchos of Buenos Ayres, or equal to either in the 
dexterity they display in the wonderful feats of horse¬ 
manship to which their occupations in the field in¬ 
ure them from childhood. Their horses, moreover, 
are so well trained to the various evolutions of their 
profession, that animal and rider seem to possess but 
one existence. 

The life of the Llanero, like that of the Gaucho 
his prototype, is singularly interesting, and resembles 
in many respects that of others who, like them, have 
their abode in the midst of extensive plains. Thus 
they have been aptly styled the Cossacks and the 
Arabs of the New World, with both of whom they 
have many points in common, but more especially do 
they resemble the last named. When visiting the 
famous Constantine Gallery of paintings at Versailles, 
I was struck with the resemblance of the Algerine 
heroes of Horace Vemet with our own, revealing at 
once the Moorish descent of the latter, independently 
of other characteristic peculiarities. 

The inimitable author of “ Journeys Across The 
Pampas,” already quoted, alluding to the life of 
these wild shepherds of the plains, compares it very 
appropriately to the rise and progress of a young 
eagle, so beautifully described by Horace in the 
following verses: 

Olim juventas et patrius vigor 
Fidum laborum propulit inscmm; 

Vernique, jam nimbis remotis, 

Insolitos docuere nisus • 


94 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Yenti paventem; mox in ovilia 
Demisit hostem vividus impetus; 

Nunc in reluctantes dracones 
Egit amor dapis atque pugnm. 

—Hoeace, Book iv., Ode iv. 

“ Whom native vigor, and the rush 
Of youth have spufr’d to quit the nest, 

And skies of blue, in springtide’s flush, 

Entice aloft to breast 

The gales he fear’d before his lordly plumes were drest. 

“ Now swooping, eager for his prey, 

Spreads havoc through the flutter’d fold; 

Straight, fired by love of food and fray, 

In grapple fierce and bold, 

The struggling dragons rends, e’en in their rocky hold.” 

—Tkanslation by Maetin. 

“ Born in the rude hut, the infant Gaucho receives 
little attention, hut is left to swing from the roof in a 
bullock’s hide, the corners of which are drawn tow¬ 
ards each other by four strips of hide. In the first 
year of his life he crawls about without clothes, and I 
have more than once seen a mother give a child of 
this age a sharp knife, a foot long, to play with. As 
soon as he walks, his infantine amusements are those 
which prepare him for the occupations of his future 
life ; with a lazo made of twine he tries to catch little 
birds, or the dogs, as they walk in and out of the hut. 

, By the time he is four years old he is on horseback, 
and immediately becomes useful by assisting to drive 
the cattle into the corral.” 

When sufficiently strong to cope with a wild ani- 


/ 


THE LLANEROS. 


95 


mal, the young Llanero is taken to the majada or 
great cattle-pen, and there hoisted upon the bare 
back of a tierce young bull. With his face turned 
towards the animal’s tail, which he holds in lieu of 
bridle, and his little legs twisted around the neck of 
his antagonist, he is whirled round and round at a 
furious rate. His position, as may be imagined, is 
any thing but equestrian ; yet, the' fear of coming in 
contact with the bull’s horns compels the rider to 
hold on until, by a dexterous twist of the animal’s 
tail while he jumps off its back, he succeeds in over¬ 
turning his antagonist. 

In proportion as he grows older and stronger, a 
more manly amusement is afforded him with the 
breaking in of a wild colt. This being, however, a 
more dangerous experiment, in which many a “ young 
eagle” is rendered a u lame duck,” he is provided 
with the necessary accoutrements to withstand the 
terrible struggle with the animal. Firmly seated 
upon his back and brandishing overhead a tough 
chaparro vine for a whip, the apprentice is thus in¬ 
stalled in his new office, from which he must not de¬ 
scend until the brute is perfectly subdued; the coil 
of lazo in the hands of his merciless instructor would 
be the least evil awaiting him should he otherwise 
escape safe and sound from the desperate kicks and 
plunges of the horse. 

Here commences what we may term, the public 
life of the Llanero; his education is now considered 
complete. From this moment all bis endeavors and 
ambition will be to rival his companions in the dis¬ 
play of physical force, which he shows to an admi- 


96 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


rable degree when, armed with his tough laze, he 
pursues the wild animals of his domain. If a power¬ 
ful bull or wild horse tries to escape into the open 
plain, the cavalier unfurls the noose which is always 
ready by his side, and the fugitive is quickly brought 
back to the corral. Should the thong give way under 
the impetuous flight of the animal, the rider seizes 
him by the tail, and whirling round suddenly, pulls 
towards him. with so much force as to cause his im¬ 
mediate overthrow. 

In all these exercises the roving cavalier of the 
Llanos acquires that feeling of security and enduring 
disposition for which he is famous. Unfortunately, it 
is often turned to account in disturbing the balance 
of power among his more enlightened countrymen; 
for he is always ready to join the first revolutionary 
movement offering him the best chances for equipping 
himself with arms of all descriptions. Next to the 
horse, the Llanero esteems those weapons which give 
him a superiority over his fellow-creatures, viz., a 
lanoe, a blunderbuss, and a fine sword. If he is un¬ 
provided with either of these, he considers himself a 
miserable and degraded being, and all his efforts will 
tend to gratify this favorite vanity, even at the risk 
of his own life. Therefore he goes to war, because he 
is sure, if victorious, of finding the battle-field covered 
with these tempting trophies of his ambition. In this, 
unfortunately, he is too often encouraged by a host 
of unprincipled politicians who, not wishing to earn 
a livelihood by fair means, are eternally plotting 
against the powers that be. 

The style of sword worn by the Llaneros differs 


TIIE LLANEROS. 


9T 


little from that used by Spaniards of the middle ages, 
the hilt being surmounted by a guard in the shape of 
a reversed cup, affording an excellent protection to 
the hand that wields it, while the blade is made with 
two edges, instead of one. Most of these swmrds are 
mounted in silver, the same as the accompanying 
dagger, another of their favorite weapons ; and such 
is the passion among Llaneros for glittering swords 
and daggers, that they would sooner dispense with a 
house or a corral, than with either of these expensive 
commodities. 

The lance comes next in importance, and in their 
hands is quite a formidable weapon, which they are 
enabled to handle with great dexterity, from their 
constant practice with the garroclia or goad with 
which they drive and turn the cattle. As an element 
of war, the lance has become celebrated in the coun¬ 
try, having rendered the cause of Independence the 
most effectual service in repelling the attacks of the 
sanguinary hosts sent by Spain against the indomi¬ 
table “ Eebeldes ” of Colombia. 

The trabuco or blunderbuss, too, is held in great 
estimation as a weapon of defence, or rather of ag¬ 
gression, as they are at all times ready to test its 
powers on the slightest provocation; and nobody 
thinks of travelling in that desert country without 
one of these wide-mouthed spitfires by his side. 

Being rather of a superstitious turn of mind, these 
people believe that by decorating their deadly 'wea¬ 
pons with some insignia of their religion, they are 
rendered more effectual; the cross surmounts their 
swords and daggers ; while the rosary and agnus Dei 
5 


98 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


entwine the butt-end of their trdbucos , when called 
into requisition. Thus they are emboldened to per¬ 
form acts of desperate valor which, under any other 
circumstances, would be considered rash in the ex¬ 
treme. 

Such is the religious faith of these benighted 
people; a religion of form and superstition rather 
than conviction. Christianity, like the Spanish lan¬ 
guage, exists among them, it is true; but corrupted 
and enveloped in dark superstition, almost bordering 
on idolatry. It cannot, how T ever, be expected that a 
widely, scattered population over so extensive an area 
of desert plains, should possess any means of enlight¬ 
enment beyond what is conveyed to them through 
the few teachers distributed among the principal 
towns of the interior. Therefore it is not an unusual 
thing to meet with persons owning extensive cattle 
farms, and even holding important commissions in 
the army, who cannot read or write. During the 
good old times of the Capuchin Missions, the youth 
of the villages under their control received at their 
hands a scanty education, principally in the primary 
notions of the catechism ; but with the destruction of 
those beneficent establishments, during the protracted 
struggle between natives and Spaniards, they were 
replunged into utter ignorance, and most of their 
places of worship have long since gone to decay. 
They have retained, nevertheless, enough of the ex¬ 
travagant notions of that school to establish a creed 
singularly at variance with the teachings of the Gos¬ 
pel, and founded principally on a belief in saints and 
amulets. The latter consist in little trinkets wrought 


THE LLANEROS. 


99 


in gold or silver; or written orisons carefully pre¬ 
served in leathern bags and worn suspended from 
their rosaries around their necks. Most of these ori¬ 
sons are the more extravagant from the fact they have 
no meaning whatever ; yet this very obscurity seems 
to attach greater value to them, their principal charm 
consisting, as they say, in their mysterious import. 

Great faith is also placed in certain prayers which 
are supposed to have the power of driving away the 
Devil, curing diseases and averting all kinds of evil. 

As regards their Creator, they only have some 
vague ideas ; they believe, for instance, in one God; 
' mais voila tout. They seem to entertain greater fear 
of Beelzebub and Death personified, both of whom 
they imagine to possess undisputed sway over His 
creatures. The first they fancy to be fashioned with 
horns, hoofs, and claws like some of their wild beasts. 
Their ideas of death are no less extravagant. A re¬ 
spectable old gentleman of my acquaintance who once 
found himself very low with fever, thus related his 
experience respecting this fearful vision. “ Why ! ” 
said he to a circle of friends who came to congratulate 
him on his recovery, “ I had always supposed that 
Death was actually a horrid skeleton skulking about 
the world in search of victims, and carrying in his 
hand a fearful hook with which he angled for us as 
we do for fish. Ho such thing, my friends, I assure 
you; Death, after all, is nothing more than lack of 
breath; ” accompanying the assertion with a gentle 
pressure of his nose with his fingers and a hearty 
laugh. 

As a natural consequence, the Llaneros, in spite 


100 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of their bravery and sangfroid in other respects, en¬ 
tertain great fear of espantos or ghosts and appari¬ 
tions. One of the most popular hallucinations of this 
kind is la bola defuego , or “ light of Aguirre the Ty¬ 
rant,” as the natives usually style it—a sort of ignis 
fatuus , arising from the decomposition of organic 
substances at the bottom of certain marshes. Super¬ 
stitious imaginations, unacquainted with this phe¬ 
nomenon, readily transform these gaseous exhalations 
into the soul of the famous Lope de Aguirre wander¬ 
ing about the savannas. This adventurous individual 
had the satisfaction, while he lived, of discovering the 
great river Amazon. Being of a restless and bloody 
disposition, like all the heroes of that epoch, he started 
in search of El Dorado with a powerful expedition 
from Peru, which resulted in the discovery of the 
Father of Waters. He stained his laurels, however, 
with the blood of his own daughter, as well as with 
that of his companions, for which unpardonable atro¬ 
cities it is believed his accursed soul was left to wan¬ 
der over those countries which he sullied with his 
crimes.* How it appears before the terrified traveller 
in the form of a blazing ball of fire ; a minute after 
it will be seen one or two miles off. If sufficiently 
near, the spectator cannot fail to observe the entrails 
of the wicked wanderer enveloped in the flames of 
this extraordinary apparition. Such is the power of 
affrighted imaginations which have converted one of 
the commonest phenomena of chemical action into 
the wildest speculation of besotted fanaticism. 


* See Humboldt, Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America. 


THE LLANEROSl 


101 


With regard to miracles and the interposition of 
the saints, the names of some of which are constantly 
in their mouths, the Llaneros also have many'curious 
notions. For every emergency of tlieir lives there is 
a special patron saint; San Pablo, like good old St. 
Patrick, is supposed to have entire sway over snakes 
and other vermin; San Antonio, the power of re¬ 
storing stolen goods to their rightful owners; while 
San somebody else that of befriending the highway 
robber and assassin from the punishment of justice 
and violent death. As an illustration of this fact, I 
will relate here an incident which I witnessed during 
one of those endemic revolutions so typical of the 
Spanish American republics, and which never fail to 
foster lawless bands of desperadoes who, under* the 
cover of political reforms, commit all sorts of depre¬ 
dations upon the helpless inhabitants. 


JOSE UEBANO, THE GUERILLA-CHIEF. 

A digression for the sake of variety. 

Shortly after our return from the Apure, a revo¬ 
lution broke out among the colored population ; a 
class which until then had been the most peaceful 
and submissive, but since perverted to such a degree 
as to require all the energies and resources ot the 
white race to save itself from utter ruin and degra¬ 
dation. 

An ambitious demagogue, editor of a newspaper 
in the capital, had been seized with the mania, so 



102 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


prevalent in South America, of becoming President 
{pro tem.) of the Republic. To this end, he spared no 
means in recommending himself to the public, through 
the columns of his paper, heaping at the same time 
all kinds of slander and abuse upon those who stood 
in his way. Finding, however, little cooperation from 
the better class of the community, he experienced no 
scruple in courting the favor of the colored popula¬ 
tion, who, he readily persuaded, “ had a perfect right 
to share in the gains and property of their aristocratic 
masters.” The Government was powerless in arrest¬ 
ing the spirit of revolt which was daily being infused 
among the masses, as the Constitution allowed perfect 
freedom of the press, and the good citizens did not 
care to take the matter into their own hands. The 
consequence was, a fearful outbreak among the low r er 
classes, backed by all the tmmposos or broken-down 
speculators of the country, proclaiming community 
of property, and the ci-devant editor (who, by the 
way, had not a sous to stake in it) candidate for the 
next Presidency of the Republic. The revolt soon 
spread to the Llaneros, by far the most to be feared 
in the matter of hard blows; and although it was 
quelled in time through the efforts of General Paez, 
it sowed the seeds of discontent which have since 
brought forth to the country an abundant crop of re¬ 
venge, violence, and rapine. It was during that cam¬ 
paign the incident I am about to relate occurred in 
the savannas of San Pablo. 

We had just encamped for the night on the beau¬ 
tiful plain of Morrocoyes, not far from our place, 
when a messenger arrived to apprise the General that 


THE LLANEROS. 


103 


the famous Jose Urbano, leader of a band of robbers 
who had committed several wanton murders in that 
neighborhood, had crossed over to San Pablo under 
cover of night. The General immediately despatched 
a dozen of his men after the banditti, with positive 
orders to follow up the rastro or trail to the world’s 
end if necessary, and not return to his presence with¬ 
out the body of the leader, muerto 6 vivo , dead or 
alive. To any other set of men less accustomed to 
the wild pursuits of the Llanos, this would have ap¬ 
peared an impossibility in a country like San Pablo, 
traversed in all directions by numerous cross-ways 
made by the cattle ; but the instinct of those men in 
tracking runaways as well as stray animals, is truly 
wonderful. Although the plain was covered with the 
footprints of twenty thousand animals roaming wild 
over the savannas, they followed close on the heels of 
the banditti, until they fell in, unfortunately, with 
• another trail left by some vaqueros. The night was 
very dark, and they easily mistook this for that of the 
enemy. As a matter of course it led them to a ranch 
where the unlucky vaqueros were amusing themselves 
at the game of monte. Without stopping to ascertain 
who the gamblers were, the troop charged id the 
midst of them, killing two or three innocent fellows, 
and dispersing the rest like a herd of wild sheep. 
The aggressors did not discover their mistake until 
one of the fugitives, who happened to be acquainted 
with the party, recognized the voice of the com¬ 
mander, and shouted to him to stop the carnage. 

After this unfortunate encounter, it may be easy 
to conceive that the troopers were not slow in retrac- 


104 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

ing their steps in search of the cause of their mistake; 
this time, however, -with more prudence, carefully ex¬ 
amining every trail until they found the right one. It 
led them to another ranch where Urbano was spend¬ 
ing the evening in the society of one of his numerous 
sweethearts. Here they all dismounted very quietly, 
and leaving the horses in charge of two companions, 
they rushed into the ranch with a wild shout and 
lance in hand. The attack was so sudden, that most 
of the banditti were either killed or dispersed before 
they had time to seize their arms. Only their gallant 
leader stood at bay against tremendous odds, defend¬ 
ing himself bravely for a long time with the assistance 
of his equally courageous sweetheart, w T ho kept all 
the while urging him on like a tigress. 

Overpowered at last by a superior force, and faint 
with the loss of blood from numerous wounds, the 
bandit fell at the feet of his sable Amazon. When 
raised, an amulet was found between his teeth so • 
firmly held, that it required the united efforts of two 
men to remove it. On being opened, it was found to 
contain a written orison, shrouded in such mysterious 
language as would have defied the skill of a magician 
to decipher. This, I was informed, was the famous 
Oracwn del Justo Juez , a singular misnomer for a 
talisman intended to befriend these genie non sancta 
in their marauding expeditions. 

It was a lucky thing for the assailants that Urbano 
received at the outset a severe cut on his right arm, 
causing an immediate flow of blood which filled the 
pan of his tralmco , otherwise the affair would have 
terminated very differently. The ignition of the pow- 


THE LLANEROS. 


105 


der was thus prevented just as he was in the act of 
discharging the contents of that engine of destruction 
amidst the group. 

The body of the culprit was now tied on the back 
of a horse and conveyed to the presence of the Gen¬ 
eral, as an atonement for the unfortunate mistake 
which had deprived him of the services of two or 
three valuable hands. 

The news of this adventure spread as if by magic 
over the surrounding country and brought together 
great numbers of curiosos , among them, no doubt, 
many of Urbano’s adherents, who might have dis¬ 
credited the statement. The General improved the 
opportunity to address them an impressive homily, 
ordering at the same time the mutilated body of the 
renowned bandit to be exposed on the public road for 
twenty-four hours, as a warning to others with similar 
proclivities. 

The death of this man, considered invulnerable by 
the superstitious children of the Llanos, produced a 
more powerful impression upon them than if a great 
battle had been fought and won. Next day, hun¬ 
dreds of facciosos , availing themselves of a general 
amnesty granted by the Commander-in-Chief to re¬ 
pentant revolutionists, began to arrive from various 
quarters and gave in their submission. 

Thus ended for the time being one of the most 
dangerous outbreak's that had ever occurred in the 
country, from the nature of the principles involved. 
As to the originator, he was subsequently eclipsed by 
a bolder political aspirant, the ever-memorable Jose 
T. Monagas. This worthy, of whom more especial 


106 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


mention will be made hereafter, and who, in an evil 
hour for his country, was called to fill the chair of 
State, profiting by the condition of anarchy in which 
the other had plunged the nation, afterwards shot 
down the Representatives of the people' in Congress 
assembled, and proclaimed himself absolute ruler, 
thus leaving the other ambitious pretender to exclaim 
with the poet: 

“ Hos ego versiculos feci, tulit alter honores.” 


CHAPTER V. 


SCENES AT THE FISHERY. 

Four days we remained at San Pablo making ar¬ 
rangements for the contemplated expedition to the 
Apure; but the horses being quartered at consider¬ 
able distance, we removed to La Yegiiera, a small farm 
within the estate exclusively devoted to the breeding 
of those animals. Great numbers of mules were also 
raised there, which made the equine stock amount to 
nearly three thousand animals of all ages. There, 
untrammelled by barriers of any kind, they roamed 
at will over those beautiful meadows in a semi-wild 
state; their only keeper was a half-breed, who with 
his family occupied the Ranch, which on that occasion 
was to shelter us also. This Ranch being too small, 
however, for the accommodation of the whole party, 
most of them bivouacked in a grove of lofty Cesal- 
pinias and Carob trees, from whose spreading branches 
they slung their hammocks, the dense foliage forming 
a sufficient shelter from the heavy dews of night and 
the heat of the sun by day. 

Our Leader, the Doctor, and myself, were domi- 


108 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


ciled at the Ranch. Having the full range of the 
neighboring groves during the day, we had then no 
occasion to use our single apartment, already par¬ 
tially occupied with the culinary utensils and other 
wares of the family. But on retiring to our ham¬ 
mocks at night, the scene presented was rather ludi¬ 
crous. In the same room allotted to us slept the 
keeper, his wife, and their numerous progeny, 
with all the dogs and chickens of the household 
huddled together in the most familiar manner. Hot- 
withstanding, I will confess that the arrangement was 
not altogether disagreeable to me, as in close pro¬ 
pinquity slept two of the prettiest damsels I had yet 
encountered in that region, with eyes brilliant enough 
to render other light superfluous. The only important 
hindrance to my nightly repose was the occasional 
flapping of wings and the hourly crowing of our 
host’s favorite gamecock, tied directly under my ham¬ 
mock, and who served for clock and night-watchman 
to the establishment. 

Agapito, our host, had an easy time as overseer 
of this domain, his only occupation being from time 
to time to scour the savannas in search of young foals 
which might have been attacked by the gusano. This 
is the larvae of a species of fly deposited in the umbili¬ 
cal cord of the new born, and which, if not promptly 
removed, will eat into the very vitals. It is fortu¬ 
nately not difficult to destroy them by the use of pow¬ 
dered cebadilla, the seed of a liliaceous plant (Yera- 
trum cebadilla) abounding in veratrine. For this 
purpose, the keeper is always provided with a horn 
filled with the poisonous drug, and a wooden spatula. 


SCENES AT THE FISHERY. 


109 


"With the latter he digs out the worms and fills the 
wound with the powder to prevent a renewal of their 
attacks. 

Groves and meadows unequalled for their luxu¬ 
riance and natural beauty surrounded us on all sides, 
while numerous springs and rivulets, issuing from the 
foot of the terrace-like Mesas , rushed down the de¬ 
clivity of the plain, increasing the volume of the 
beautiful Guarico on whose banks stood the primitive 
abode of our unsophisticated host. This river is justly 
celebrated for the abundance and superiority of its 
fish; so, wfithout delay, providing myself with hook 
and line, I proceeded thither, being anxious to procure 
specimens for my sketch-book, and also a substitute 
for our daily fare of beef. But, strange to relate, 
each time I dropped hook in the water, it was carried 
away in some mysterious manner, without the least 
motion being imparted to the float. My tackle, which 
I had brought from England, although arranged for 
fly-fishing, was capable of bearing a fish of many 
pounds weight; but as I soon lost all my stock in 
hand in the vain endeavor to secure my specimens, I 
gave up in disgust and returned to the Banch that 
the mystery might, if possible, be explained. On 
seeing my slender lines, mine host with a broad grin 
facetiously remarked that they were good to play at 
fishing with, the only drawback to the amusement 
being that the caribe, a fish not larger than a perch, 
would carry off all my playthings. Impossible, said 
I; the lines are strong enough to lift you out of the 
water if necessary ; to this he. quietly replied, direct¬ 
ing my attention to a mutilated finger of his right 


110 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


hand, “ Do you see this ? well, not long ago I was 
washing my hands in the river after slaughtering a 
calf, when a caribe darted at my finger and carried 
off a part before I was even aware of his approach.” 
Here was a serious obstacle to my favorite sport, and 
to the pleasure that Mr. Thomas and I had anticipated 
in sketching the various kinds of fish peculiar to that 
region. Fortunately, a short distance down the river 
was a fishing encampment provided with all the ne¬ 
cessary appliances for obtaining the fish in large 
quantities. Of these we resolved to avail ourselves ; 
but as several others of our party were equally inter¬ 
ested, our leader despatched a messenger to the fish¬ 
ermen, inviting them to come up the river with their 
nets, and fish in our presence. To this they readily 
acceded, and soon after made their appearance pad¬ 
dling themselves over the water in four large canoes 
laden, among other things, with their chinchorros or 
seines, which they at once proceeded to spread across 
the stream, covering a deep charco or pool known to 
contain abundance of fish. Although the river at 
this season was very low, owing to the usual summer 
drought, pools of considerable depth were left at in¬ 
tervals, and in these the fish sought refuge in vast 
numbers from the season’s heat and from the eager 
pursuit of the fishermen, of which the latter sang, 
while spreading their seines, in the following lines : 

Guavina le dijo a Bagre 

Vamonos al caramero, 

Porque ya viene el verano 

Y nos coge el chinchorrero. 


SCENES AT THE FISHERY. 


Ill 


As the nets were dragged towards each other, the 
fish could be seen by thousands moving within the 
space embraced by the seines. Indeed, so numerous 
were they, that it soon became impossible to pull 
them in shore without previously relieving them of a 
portion of their contents. Accordingly, some of the 
men, armed with throw-nets, harpoons, and bicheros 
—these last large hooks affixed to wooden handles— 
plunged into the midst of the finny multitude, and 
commenced an onslaught on the largest among them. 
Presently one the men came out with a monstrous 
fellow of the catfish tribe beautifully striped like a 
Bengal tiger, and like him having a thick snout fur¬ 
nished with long barbs. This species is called the 



bagre rayado or striped catfish, and is much esteemed 
by people of all classes as a substitute for beef during 
Lent. Large quantities are salted and sent at that 
time to the capital and other cities, where, under the 
name of jpescado llanero , it forms one of the delicacies 
of the season. Some of these fish attain an enormous 
size, measuring five, six, and even seven feet in length, 
and are so fat that a single one is a load for two men. 

In diving with the bichero , much caution was 
necessary on the part of the men lest they should be 



112 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


hooked by their hasty companions in lieu of the fish. 
A more important source of anxiety to the divers, 
was several dangerous fish among the multitude 
struggling in the water, such as the Ray-fish, whose 
tail is furnished with a sting three inches long, with 
which it inflicts a very painful wound ; Electric eels, 
whose touch alone will paralyze in an instant the mus¬ 
cles of the strongest man ; the Payara, shaped some¬ 
what like a sabre, and equally dangerous. The lower 
jaw of this last is furnished with a formidable pair of 
fangs, not unlike those of the rattlesi^ke ; with these 
it inflicts as smooth a gash as if cut with a razor; 
and finally, the caribe , whose ravenous and blood¬ 
thirsty propensities have caused it to be likened to 
the cannibal tribe of Indians, once the terror of those 
regions, but now scattered over the towns and vil¬ 
lages along the course of the Orinoco. Each time the 
nets were hauled in shore, half a dozen or more of 
these little pests were to be seen jumping in the 
crowd, their jaws wide open tearing whatever came 
in their way, especially the meshes of the nets, which 
they soon rendered useless. Their sharp triangular 
teeth, arranged in the same manner as those of the 
shark, are so strong, that neither copper, steel, nor 
twine can withstand them. The sight of any red sub¬ 
stance, blood especially, seems to rouse their sanguin¬ 
ary appetite ; and as they usually go in swarms, it is 
extremely dangerous for man or beast to enter the 
water with even a scratch upon their bodies. Horses 
wounded with the spur are particularly exposed to 
their attacks, and so rapid is the work of destruction, 
that unless immediate assistance is rendered, the fish 


SCENES AT THE FISHERY. 


113 


soon penetrate the abdomen of the animal and speed¬ 
ily reduce it to a skeleton ; hence, doubtless, their 
appellation of mondonguero —tripe-eater. There are 
other varieties of the caribe in the rivers of the 
Llanos, but none so bold and bloodthirsty as this 
glutton of the waters. So abundant is this species 
in some rivers of the Apure, that it is a common 
saying among Llaneros : “ there is more caribe than 
water.” 



Every feature of this miniature cannibal denotes 
the ferocity and sanguinary nature of its tastes. The 
piercing eye, surrounded by a bloody-looking ring, 
is expressive of its cruel and bloodthirsty disposition. 
Its under jaw, lined with a thick cartilaginous mem¬ 
brane which adds greatly to its strength, protrudes 
considerably beyond the upper, giving, as this forma¬ 
tion of jaw does to all animals possessing it, likewise 
an expression of ferocity. Large spots of a brilliant 
orange hue cover a great portion of its body, espe¬ 
cially the belly, fins, and tail. Toward the back, it is 
of a bluish ash color, with a slight tint of olive green, 
the intermediate spaces being of a pearly white, while 



114 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


the gill-covers are tinged with red. The inhabitants 
being often compelled to swim across streams infested 
with them, entertain more fear of these little creatures 
than of that world-renowned monster, the crocodile. 
This last, although a formidable antagonist in the 
water, can be easily avoided and even conquered in 
single combat by daring men, while the former, from 
their diminutive size and greater numbers, can do more 
mischief in a short time than a legion of crocodiles. 

The other kinds of caribe, although larger in size, 
are less dangerous than the preceding, and some even 
perfectly harmless. Among these, the black caribe 
of the Apure and Orinoco rivers is considered dainty 
eating. The caribito is also a harmless pretty little 
fish, with back of a fine green color, and belly white 
with occasional streaks of pink. 

In spite, however, of all these vicious creatures, 
and the great depth of the water, the fishermen accom¬ 
plished their work in a manner that would have done 
credit to the fearless pearl-divers of the ocean, more 
especially the swimmers, who are constantly in dan¬ 
ger from some of the fish while gliding through the 
water in their pursuit. Those in the canoes were, of 
course, less liable to be attacked, although it often 
happened that a payara, being peculiarly adapted 
for darting out of the water, would clear the nets with 
a spring and fall in the midst of the paddlers, causing 
a momentary confusion among them. My attention 
was particularly attracted to the skill of the men in 
throwing their hand nets, sometimes lying on their 
stomach on the surface of the water, their hands en¬ 
cumbered with the nets; others would stand perfectly 


SCENES AT THE FISHERY. ' H5 

erect, half tlieir bodies out of water, and without any 
footing to serve them as point d'appui. In the same 
manner, those whose business it was to drive the fish 
towards the seines, managed their huge batons, and 
all apparently without the least inconvenience. Sud¬ 
denly their labors were interrupted by a serious ob¬ 
stacle in the shape of a caiman or alligator struggling 
hard between the nets to regain his freedom. Here 
was a sufficient test of the courage and ability of the 
fisliers. If the monster remained, he would not only 
endanger the nets, but also the progress of the men 
through the water, they being liable at any moment 
to come in contact with his powerful jaws. It was 
therefore decided to get rid of the intruder at all 
hazards. To accomplish this, a lazo was procured, 
and to the astonishment of all the blancos present, a 
man went down with it to the bottom in search of the 
monster, with the avowed object of lazoing him under 
the water. After a few moments of, to us, most anx¬ 
ious suspense, but which the hardy fishermen re¬ 
garded as child’s play, their companion rose to the 
surface panting for breath, not yet having ascertained 
the precise position of his intended victim. After 
inhaling sufficient air, the diver again disappeared, 
coming up in due time with the glad tidings that the 
enemy was captured, in proof whereof he handed us 
the other end of the lazo that we might drag him out. 
This was no easy task, as these reptiles, by their pe¬ 
culiar conformation, have immense power while under 
water, and it required the united efforts of all on 
shore to land him. This accomplished, we were per¬ 
plexed in what manner to despatch him, as no steel 


116 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


instrument can penetrate the thick cuirass of the 
caiman , except it be in the armpits; but so violent 
were his struggles,, that it was impossible to strike 
him there. At last the Doctor, more sagacious than 
the rest of us in anatomical operations, plunged a 
harpoon into the nape of the neck. The effect was 
that of paralyzing at once the movements of the 
prisoner, after which he was easily stabbed. 

The manner in which our gallant diver accom¬ 
plished his daring feat was thus explained by his 
companions ; the caiman , like the domestic hog, 
is said to delight in being scratched about the ribs,* 
and of this the diver perhaps availed himself in 
order to place the noose around his neck, being very 
careful to approach him from behind, as it is a well- 
known fact that these reptiles, owing to the nature of 
their collar vertebrae, cannot easily turn round. The 
alligator is not so dangerous as its congener the croco¬ 
dile of the Orinoco and its tributaries; few real croco¬ 
diles ever ascend the Guarico as far as San Pablo. 
However, a case had occurred here not long before, 
when a man disappeared under rather mysterious cir¬ 
cumstances, and there was good reason to surmise 
that his loss was due to one of these gentry. It ap¬ 
pears that the seines, being entangled around a snag 
at the bottom of the river, a man was, as usual, sent to 
remove the obstruction; considerable time elapsing 
without his reappearance, his comrades, seriously 
alarmed, instituted a diligent search, but no vestige of 
the unfortunate man was ever discovered. It never oc- 

* Since the above first appeared in print, I find this fact corrobo¬ 
rated by Sir J. Emerson Tennent, in his interesting “Sketches on the 
Nat. Hist, of Ceylon,” as practised by the natives of that island. 


SCENES AT THE FISHERY. 


117 


curred to his friends that he might have fallen a prey 
to a crocodile, and the calamity was universally as¬ 
cribed to the supernatural influence of some evil genii 
of the deep. From that time, the spot has borne the 
ominous name of the Encantado or haunted pool. 

All obstructions to the progress of the nets were 
at length removed, and a sufficient quantity of fish 
having been taken therefrom, we all assisted in pull¬ 
ing them in, and a few moments afterwards had the 
satisfaction of beholding the sand banks on which we 
were, strewn with the proceeds of the two seines. 

It would be impossible to convey an adequate 
idea of the singular forms and brilliant hues of most 
of these fish, all new to me. The Cherna ,. in particu¬ 
lar, attracted my attention from their abundance 
and peculiar formation. Some attain a large size, 
weighing as much as a hundred pounds, and their 
flesh is so delicate as to deserve the appellation 
of river veal. The mouth is comparatively small, 
and set with a row of teeth bearing a strong resem¬ 
blance to those of the human species.. 

The fishing having been solely for our amusement, 
and more game obtained than we required for our 
consumption, some was distributed among the people 
of the neighborhood who had collected to witness the 
sport, and the remainder given to the fishermen, who 
received besides a handsome compensation for their 
trouble in coming so far from their encampment. 

During the distribution of the fish, a singular in¬ 
cident took place which illustrates at once the tena¬ 
city of life with which reptiles are endowed, and the 
electrical powers of that most singular creature, the 


113 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 



gymnotus or electric eel. A boy bad discovered one 
of these among the heap of fish on the beach, and was 
dragging it along by means of a bichero to avoid the 
shocks, when the body of the eel came accidentally 
in contact with the carcass of the caiman. This last, 
which, after the rough treatment it had received from 
our medical adviser, was supposed to be quite dead, 
much to the surprise of all, opened his huge jaws 
and closed them with a loud crash. The Doctor, espe¬ 
cially, who, from his professional knowledge in surgi¬ 
cal operations, had pronounced it beyond recovery, 
was the loudest in his expressions of astonishment at 
this unexpected turn. It was, however, merely a 
convulsive movement, induced by contact with the 
eel, and similar to that produced on the limbs of a frog 
by a galvanic current; for, afterward, the reptile re¬ 
mained without further signs of returning life. Science 
will, ere long, take advantage of the electric eel. 







SCENES AT THE FISHERY. 


119 


I would here most willingly entertain my readers 
with an account of the nature and habits of these 
“ animal electrical machines,” had not the great 
Humboldt already elucidated the subject in the most 
comprehensive and brilliant manner. To his admir¬ 
able works I will therefore refer the reader for a full 
and graphic description of this, one of the most curi¬ 
ous of fish. It was in one of the numerous tributary 
creeks of this river, that the distinguished traveller 
procured the gymnoti for his experiments ; perhaps 
from amongst the progenitors of the above mentioned. 
The manner in which they were obtained differed 
somewhat, however, from the one adopted by us on 
this occasion. Knowing how difficult it was to catch 
these eels on account of their extreme agility and 
powerful electrical discharges, the guides collected in 
the savannas a drove of wild horses, which they forced 
into a pool of water abounding in gymnoti. “ The 
extraordinary noise caused by the horses’ hoofs makes 
the fish issue from the mud and excites them to at¬ 
tack. The yellowish and livid eels, resembling large 
aquatic serpents, swim on the surface of the water 
and crowd under the bellies of the horses and mules. 
A contest between animals of so different an organi¬ 
zation presents a very striking spectacle. The In¬ 
dians, provided with harpoons and long slender reeds, 
surround the pool closely, and some climb up the 
trees, the branches of which extend horizontally over 
the surface of the water. By their wild cries, and 
the length of their reeds, they prevent the horses 
from running away and reaching the bank of the 
pool. The eels, stunned by the noise, defend them- 


120 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


selves by the repeated discharge of their electric bat¬ 
teries. For a long interval they seem likely to prove 
victorious. Several horses sink beneath the violence 
of the invisible strokes which they receive from all 
sides in organs the most essential to life; and stunned 
by the force and frequency of the shocks, they disap¬ 
pear under water.” 

“ I wish,” adds the traveller, “ that a clever artist 
could have depicted the most animated period of the 
attack; the group of Indians surrounding the pond, 
the horses w r ith their manes erect and eyeballs wild 
with pain and fright, striving to escape from the 
electric storm which they had roused, and driven 
back by the shouts and long whips of the excited In¬ 
dians ; the livid yellow eels, like great water snakes, 
swimming near the surface and pursuing their enemy ; 
all these objects ‘presented a most picturesque and 
exciting ‘ ensemble.’ In less than five minutes two 
horses were killed ; the eel, being more than five feet 
in length, glides beneath the body of the horse and 
discharges the whole length of its electric organ. It 
attacks, at the same time, the heart, the digestive 
viscera, and the cceliac fold of the abdominal nerves. 
I thought the scene would have a tragic termination, 
and expected to see most of the quadrupeds killed; 
but the Indians assured me that the fishing would 
soon be finished, and that only the first attack of the 
gymnoti was really formidable. In fact, after the 
conflict had lasted a quarter of an hour, the mules 
and horses appeared less alarmed; they no longer 
erected their manes, and their eyes expressed less 
pain and terror. One no longer saw them struck 


SCENES AT THE FISHERY. 


121 


down in the water, and the eels, instead of swimming 
to the attack, retreated from their assailants and ap¬ 
proached the shore. The Indians now began to nse 
their missiles; and by means of the long cord at¬ 
tached to the harpoon, jerked the fish out of the 
•water without receiving any shock so long as the 
cord was dry.” 

The electric eel, although much dreaded by man, 
is greatly esteemed by gourmands. It is necessary, 
however, to deprive the fish of those parts constitut¬ 
ing the electrical apparatus, which are rather spongy 
and unpalatable. So perfect a machine is this curious 
organ, that Faraday succeeded—by insulation of the 
animal electricity and a most ingenious apparatus de¬ 
vised by him—in obtaining a spark with which he ignit¬ 
ed a spoonful of gunpowder. But there are several 
varieties of the fish which do not possess this peculiarity. 

Among the promiscuous assemblage of fish scat¬ 
tered oh the sand beach, ready to transfix the hand 
that might inadvertently touch them, were many 
sting-rays. This species, like its prototype the famous 
Manta-fish of the Caribbean Sea, is quite circular 
and flat, with a tail over a foot in length, very thick 
at the base and tapering towards the end. Near the 
middle on the upper part, it is armed with a long 
and sharp-pointed bone or sting, finely serrated on 
two sides, which the fish can raise or lay flat at will. 
When disturbed, the ray, by a quick movement of 
the tail, directs its sting towards the object, which it 
seldom fails to reach. The wound thus inflicted is so 
severe, that the whole nervous system is convulsed, 
the person becoming rigid and benumbed in a few 


122 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


moments. Even long after the violent effects of the 
wound have subsided, the part affected retains a slug¬ 
gish ulceration, which has in many instances baffled 
the skill of the best surgeons. Some creeks and la¬ 
goons of stagnant water are so infested with them, 
that it is almost certain destruction to venture into 
them. They usually frequent the shallow banks of 
muddy pools, where they may be seen at all times 
watching for prey; and, as if conscious of their 
powers, scarcely deign to move off when approached 
by man. They, also, are considered good eating, on 
which account they frequently fall a prey to hungry 
boys and vultures, who wage constant war upon them 
with spear and talon. 

Mr. Thomas and I had plenty of occupation in 
sketching the various specimens before us; but the 
speedy approach of night compelled us to relinquish 
our agreeable pastime ; thus many curious fish which 
we would have liked to preserve, had to be consigned 
to the frying-pan instead of to our portfolios. 

In the mean time our able cook, Monico, and half 
a dozen of Llanero assistants—all of whom are more or 
less accomplished in the art of cooking in their own pe¬ 
culiar style—were busily engaged throughout the af¬ 
ternoon preparing the spoils of the day for our supper. 
A fat calf was also killed in honor of the occasion, 
and roasted before a blazing fire under the trees. The 
Llaneros are quite skilled in roasting an ox or calf, 
which they divide in sections according to the flavor 
of each particular morceau. These they string upon 
long wooden spits, and keep them turning before the 


SCENES AT THE FISHERY. 


128 


fire until sufficiently cooked. The ribs of the animal, 
taken out entire, usually form the most favorite mor¬ 
sel ; but I would recommend to future travellers in 
that country the entreverado , made up of the animal’s 
entrails, such as the liver, heart, lungs, and kidneys, 
cut into pieces of convenient size and spitted ; then 
enveloped in the fat mesenteric membrane of the an¬ 
imal, and cooked in its own juices. 

In addition to this abundant supply of came 
asada , we had fish in every style, smoked, broiled, en 
sancocho , (bouilli,) &c., with plenty of bread prepared 
by the wife and daughters of our equerry. Just as 
every one had eaten, as he supposed, his fill, one of 
our assistants made his appearance bending under the 
weight of a "boiling caldron containing a rich bouilli 
of chema heads, and urged us to partake of his hum¬ 
ble fare. Although this was rather reversing the 
order of courses, we were finally prevailed upon to 
taste the soup he had prepared with so much care for 
us; and no sooner was the rich broth tasted by our 
epicurean party, than it was forthwith devoured with 
unimpaired appetites; but my enjoyment of the broth 
was somewhat spoiled by coming in contact with a 
row of omniverous-looking teeth, which so reminded 
me of a human skull, that I was constrained to 
throw my portion away, although I must confess 
that I never tasted soup superior to it. 


CHAPTER VL 


WILD HORSES. 

The fishing over, the main object of onr expedition 
to La Yegiiera was next attended to, namely, that of 
adding to onr madrina of supernumerary horses from 
the abundant stock of this farm. An entire day was 
passed in riding through its enchanting groves and 
meadows, inspecting the numerous droves of mares, 
guarded by their proud padrotes or stallions. Each 
troop is under the control of one of these, who not 
only prevent their mingling with other packs, but en¬ 
deavor also to appropriate all the other mares they 
can kidnap from their, neighbors. The conquest, how¬ 
ever, is not obtained without a determined resistance 
from their rightful lords, which occasions fierce com¬ 
bats between the rivals. When any stranger ap¬ 
proaches, the whole troop boldly advances towards 
the object of their alarm, neighing, snorting, and 
throwing their slim and beautiful forms into the most 
graceful attitudes. When at the distance of a hun¬ 
dred paces, they all halt, and five or six scouts are 
detached from the main body to reconnoitre. These 


WILD HORSES. 


125 


approach still nearer, and stretching their necks and 
ears, seem, with wild glance and cautious movement, 
to inquire from the stranger the object of this intru¬ 
sion, while, in the mean time, the stallion keeps the 
whole troop in readiness for retreat in case of pursuit. 
When this last occurs, the scouts hastily incorporate 
themselves with the main body, while the stallion 
orders the retreat as skilfully as a good general might 
under similar circumstances, stopping occasionally to 
watch the enemy’s movements, but never resuming 
the lead until the troop is out of danger. When thus 
wildly coursing over the prairies in packs of one or 
two hundred, headed by their respective stallions, in¬ 
spired, as it were, by the freedom of the plain, noth¬ 
ing can surpass their magnificent appearance, nor the 
proud air of liberty with which they snuff the passing 
breeze. We one day brought to the Kanch a large 
drove, from which we selected those required for the 
expedition. This occupied the men for a couple of 
days, as it was discovered that most of the animals 
were in bad condition from burrs and garrcvpatas , 
another destructive insect peculiar to those places, of 
the size and shape of a bed-bug, and very distressing 
to animals. It adheres with such tenacity to the skin 
of the poor brutes, that it requires to be pulled by 
hand in order to detach it; if left undisturbed, it will 
suck the blood until its body becomes distended to 
^nany times the natural size. It attacks all kinds of 
animals, but more especially horses : these last suffer 
in consequence, from malignant sores about their ears, 
which soon wither and drop off. 

The horses were so wild that they had to be broken 


126 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


in before they could be of any service. This opera¬ 
tion—which might as well be termed breaking down 
horses, as a great number are ruined by it—affords 
the Llaneros a line opportunity for testing their ability 
in coping with this, the most spirited animal in the 
world. It is also undoubtedly one of the most diffi¬ 
cult performances on cattle-farms, requiring strong 
nerve and great skill on the part of the rider to with¬ 
stand the kicks and plunges of the animal and retain 
his seat. The method practised in the Llanos differs 
but little from that of the Pampas of Buenos Ayres, 
so ably described by Sir Francis Head, Darwin, and 
other eminent writers. I will quote some passages 
from the first of these authors respecting this diver- 
tisement among the Gauchos; their method I specially 
commend to the numerous disciples of the renowned 
Barey, wdio has so astonished the Old World and the 
Hew wffth his wonderful skill in horse-taming. 

“ The corral was quite full of horses, most of which 
were young ones, about three and four years old. The 
capataz, mounted on a strong, steady horse, rode into 
the corral, and threw his lazo over the neck of a young 
horse, and dragged him to the gate. For some time he 
w T as very unwilling to leave his comrades, but the 
moment he was forced out of the corral, his first idea 
was to gallop away; however, the jerk of the lazo 
checked him in a most effectual manner. The peons 
now ran after him on foot, and threw the lazo over 
his four legs, just above the fetlocks, and twitching 
it, they pulled his legs from under him so suddenly, 
that I really thought the fall he got had killed him. 
In an instant a Gauclio was seated upon his head, and 


WILD HORSES. 


127 

with his long knife, in a few seconds he cut off the 
whole of the horse’s mane, while another cut the hair 
from the end of his tail. This they told me is a mark 
that the horse has been once mounted. They then 
put a piece of hide into his mouth to serve as a bit, 
and a strong hide-halter on his head. The Gaucho 
who was to mount, arranged his spurs, which were 
unusually long and sharp, and while two men held 
the animal by his ears, he put on the saddle, which he 
girthed extremely tight; he then caught hold of the 
horse s ear and in an instant vaulted into the saddle ; 
upon which the man who was holding the horse by 
the halter, threw the end of it to the rider, and from 
that moment no one seemed to take any further notice 
of him. The horse instantly began to jump in a man¬ 
ner which made it very difficult for the rider to keep 
his seat, and quite different from the kick or plunge 
of an English horse ; however, the Gaucho’s spur soon 
set him going, and off he galloped, doing every thing 
in his power to throw his rider. Another horse was 
immediately brought from the corral, and so quick was 
the operation, that twelve Gauchos were mounted in 
a space which, I think, hardly exceeded an hour.” 

“It was singular to see the different manner in 
which the different horses behaved. Some would 
actually scream while the Gauchos were girthing the 
saddle upon their backs; some would instantly lie 
down and roll over it; while some would stand with¬ 
out being held, their legs stiff and in unnatural direc¬ 
tions, their necks half bent towards their tails, and 
looking so vicious and sulky, that I could not help 
thinking I could not have mounted one of them for 


128 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


any reward that could be offered me ; and they were 
invariably the most difficult to subdue.” 

By repeating this treatment a number of times, 
and a sound thrashing with the chaparro whenever 
they prove refractory, the riders finally succeed in 
conquering the indomitable spirit of their steeds, 
although they long retain a vicious propensity to 
occasionally practise their old tricks, either by throw¬ 
ing themselves backwards upon their riders, or sud¬ 
denly plunging headlong at a furious rate. Another 
dangerous habit is that of whirling rapidly, when least 
expected, in an opposite direction to the one intended 
by the rider, who, unless very expert, is unseated and 
liable to have his neck broken. But, when these 
horses are at length thoroughly broken in, there are 
few in the world capable of performing their duty so 
well as those trained in the Llanos of Yenezuela. 

My allusion on a former page to the renowned 
Barey, recalls to my memory the name of Santos 
Nieves, a famous picador of San Pablo, whose ingen¬ 
ious mode of entrapping horses appears to have been 
formed on the same principle as that which has char¬ 
acterized Mr. Barey’s method. 

Instead of dashing after the droves, with lazo in 
hand, and wild shouts, as is usual when the capture 
of one or more horses is intended, Santos Nieves made 
use of every precaution to avoid giving these shy crea¬ 
tures the least alarm; and so successfully were all his 
expeditions executed, that he achieved for himself the 
tremendous reputation of being a horse-witch. His 
plan was, however, the simplest possible. If the 
object was to capture only a single animal—which 


WILD HORSES. 


129 


feat is peculiarly difficult to accomplish in woody 
places especially—he made preparations as if for a 
long journey, previous to seeking the haunts of his in¬ 
tended captive. Having sojourned in San Pablo for 
over half a century, he was thoroughly acquainted with 
all their accustomed places of resort. The first impulse 
of the animal on finding himself followed, was to scam¬ 
per off; but the patient picador, instead of hurrying in 
pursuit, quietly remained on the same spot, watching 
and waiting the next move of the animal. Presently 
the horse, seeing he was not pursued, would conclude 
to return and reconnoitre the object of his alarm. Sat¬ 
isfied from the quiet attitude of the man, that nothing 
need be feared from him, the horse resumed his brous- 
ing near by. Again the man cautiously and slowly 
advances, until perceived anew by the horse, who, as 
before, beats a rapid retreat. Impelled by curiosity, 
he returned for the third time; again inspects the 
picador, who remains motionless as before, upon seeing 
which, the animal concludes he may safely continue 
his meal. These manoeuvrings, again and again re¬ 
peated, usually occupied an entire day, towards the 
close of which, if the horse were not very scary, the 
picador, with cautious approach and gentle words, 
succeeded in placing the halter around his neck. 
The extreme coyness, however, of most of these ani¬ 
mals, frequently compelled Santos Nieves to camp out 
for the night and resume his pursuit, not only the fol¬ 
lowing morning, but, if necessary, for three or more 
consecutive days, at the end of which he always re¬ 
turned in triumph with his captive to the farm. 

The relative value of these horses depends princi- 


180 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


pally on their form, color, and gait. The Llaneros are 
quite skilful in teaching them a variety of paces and 
evolutions, which are*as essential to their hazardous 
occupations, as is the helm to the mariner. For war 
purposes, they are especially invaluable, as was prac¬ 
tically demonstrated in the long struggle with the 
Spaniards, who not being equally expert in the man¬ 
agement of their steeds, were, in consequence, often at 
the mercy of their antagonists. A good charger must 
be endowed with an easy mouth, good wind, and quick 
movement to either side, so that when pursued by 
an enemy, he can be made to whirl suddenly to the 
attack if necessary. The same rule applies to those 
used in chasing wild animals, especially bulls, which, 
w*lien hotly pursued, often face about and charge their 
assailants. 

It is equally indispensable in warm climates, that 
a horse should possess an easy gait for travelling. In 
this respect, they are trained to the particular fancy 
or requirements of the rider. Some prefer a gentle 
trot on a long journey, as being the least fatiguing to 
the horse; but, for city riding, or short journeys, an 
amble, rack, or pasitrote —something between both— 
is usually adopted. The test of a good pacing horse 
consists in “ the rider being able to carry a glass of 
water in his hand without spilling,” while that of a 
first-rate charger is to stop, when at the height of 
his speed, on the slightest pull of the bridle. 

Great regard is also paid to the color of horses; 
piebald, cream, and the various shades of white, are 
usually preferred. But, where great endurance and 
strength are requisite, connoisseurs generally select 


WILD HORSES. 


131 


those of a darker color. Their price in the country is 
greatly enhanced of late in consequence of a devas¬ 
tating disease, which has been raging among them for 
several years past. Horses were so plentiful in the 
Llanos at one time, that a large export trade in their 
hides was carried on with foreign countries. A good 
horse, which then only brought five dollars, now costs 
from eighty to one hundred, and even more, according 
to the fancy of the parties interested.—Great numbers 
of the inhabitants were also carried away by the same 
scourge, which swept over the land like the cholera, 
not even sparing the fish in the rivers. 

This frightful epidemic, which the Llaneros have 
appropriately styled Peste , or plague, is supposed to 
have originated in the great primeval forest of San 
Camilo, at the head waters of the Apure, from decom¬ 
position of the vegetable detritus accumulated there 
during centuries. From thence, travelling eastward 
along the course of the river, the epidemic continued 
its ravages among the inhabitants of the towns and 
villages situated on the right bank, attacking first one 
place and then another, until the whole province 
‘scarcely escaped depopulation. Even when the mor¬ 
tality abated, the country, which until then had pos¬ 
sessed a most healthful climate, never recovered its 
former salubrity; fevers of a more or less dangerous 
character prevail from that time, especially towards 
the end of the rainy season, while the raising of horses 
has been entirely abandoned in consequence. 

The first symptoms of the epidemic appeared 
among the crocodiles, whose hideous carcasses might 
then be seen floating down the stream in such pro- 


132 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


digious numbers, that both the waters and air of that 
fine region were tainted with their effluvium. It was 
observed that they were first seized with a violent fit 
of coughing, followed by a black vomit which com¬ 
pelled them to quit their watery home, and finally find 
a grave amongst the thickets on the river banks. 
The disease next attacked the fish and other inhabit¬ 
ants of the water, with equal violence, until it was 
feared the streams would be depopulated. The fearful 
mortality among them can be better estimated from 
the fact that, for more than a month, the rippling 
waves of that noble river, the Apure, were constantly 
washing down masses of putrefaction, its placid sur¬ 
face being by them actually hidden from view for 
several weeks. 

The next victims were the pachidermata of the 
swamps, and it was a pitiable sight to see the sluggish 
chiguires (capyvaras) and the grizzly wild-boars 
dragging their paralyzed hind-quarters after them; 
hence the name of derrengadera , applied to this 
disease. 

hTot even monkeys in their aerial retreats, escaped 
the contagion, and their melancholy cries resounded 
day and night through the woods like wailings of the 
eternally lost. 

It is a singular fact, that while the scourge did not 
spare any of the countless droves of horses roaming 
the savannas of the Apure, and adjacent plains, don¬ 
keys and horned cattle were seldom, if ever, attacked, 
so that, by their aid, the owners of cattle-farms were 
enabled to prevent the entire dispersion of their herds. 

A curious incident related in connection with this 


WILD HORSES. 


133 


public calamity, is very current in the Llanos, respect¬ 
ing the origin of the disease among horses. Eugenio 
Torralva, a man of uncommon industry, although of 
humble extraction, had accumulated quite a hand¬ 
some fortune by the raising of cattle, on the borders 
of La Portuguesa; but his chief wealth consisted in 
horses, on which he greatly prided himself—so much 
so that, on one occasion, while a distinguised person¬ 
age was passing through his estate, Torralva directed 
his attention to the numerous droves grazing in the 
plains; then turning to his guest, who appeared 
equally delighted with the sight, said to him, “ Think 
you, General, that I shall ever be in want of horses ? 
Ni que Dios quiera! (Not even if God Almighty 
wished it!)” he blasphemously added. Two years 
later, the witness to this impious boast was again on 
his way to the Llanos: near San Juan he met an old 
man, apparently in a very destitute condition, riding 
a donkey. Not knowing who the wayfarer was, he 
bowed, as is customary, and rode on without taking 
further notice of the old man or his uncouth equip¬ 
ment ; whereupon the stranger, waving his hand to 
him, cried, “ Why, General, have you already for¬ 
gotten your friend Torralva ? ” He that “ giveth and 
taketh away ” had deprived him of every horse, and 
the once wealthy farmer was now compelled to travel 
on an ass. It is asserted by the Llaneros that soon 
after he uttered the above-mentioned blasphemy, the 
Peste broke out among his immense stock, from 
whence they say the disease spread to other farms, 
until the contagion became general. . 

It is not a little singular that although the horse 


134 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 



was unknown to the aborigines of America, at the 
time of its conquest, the researches of Darwin and 
other eminent geologists have shown them to have 
existed in vast numbers on that continent contempora¬ 
neously with the Mastodon, Megatherium, Mylodon, 
and other extinct animals. u Certainly, it is a marvel¬ 
lous fact, in the history of mammalia,” observes that 
assiduous explorer, “ that in South America a native 
horse should have lived and disappeared, to be suc¬ 
ceeded, in after ages, by the countless herds descended 
from the few introduced by the Spanish colonists! ” 

In general these animals are of middling size, and, 
like their progenitor, the Andalusian horse, endowed 
with a fiery spirit, (if not checked by ill-treatment or 
abuse,) and surprising endurance, especially during 
the exciting chase of wild cattle, when they are kept 
in constant motion for many consecutive days. 




CHAPTER Vn. 


ACROSS THE PAMPAS. 

Early in the morning of the fifth day, we left the 
Ranch at La Yegiiera to journey southward, followed 
by our long train of baggage mules and relay horses, 
our good-natured host and 'keeper, Agapito, escorting 
us for some distance in the double capacity of guide 
and entertainer. Without his assistance it would 
have been difficult for us to proceed on our journey, 
which lay.across a rolling prairie, covered in some 
places by magnificent groves of tall timber trees and 
a vast multitude of slender, towering palms, which, 
by the glimmering light of the stars, appeared like a 
mighty fleet of ships guarding the entrance to some 
giant harbor. Although the morning was dark, and 
there was properly speaking no road, but only a 
beaten track branching off in all directions, our 
guide, who knew every ipch of the ground, led us 
on without once turning to the right or left, merrily 
chanting some of the lively ballads of the Llands. 
Occasionally he was joined by other bards equally 


136 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


distinguished for their powers of voice and versifica¬ 
tion, thus producing very animated choruses of a 
character peculiarly wild. 

As the sun rose in the horizon, we came upon 
another extensive plateau, the Mesa del Rastro, 
stretching for several miles, unbroken by a single 
tree or shrub, but alive with numberless herds of 
cattle roaming in all directions, while flocks of birds 
of every plumage, all new to me, flew affrighted at 
our approach, filling the air with their wild ? peculiar 
cries. Among these, the Taro-taro, a large bird of 
the Ibis tribe, wdiich derives its name from its bell¬ 
like notes, and the Carretero or carter, a beautiful 
species of goose with variegated plumage and crimson 
bill, particularly attracted my attention. The latter 
is named from the rumbling noise it makes when on 
the wing, similar in sound to the rumbling of cart¬ 
wheels on hard ground. 

Continuing our march over this seemingly inter¬ 
minable plain, we at length descried in the horizon 
the village of El Rastro, where we purposed break¬ 
fasting and spending the hottest part of the day. We 
were cordially received and entertained at the house 
of Senor Llovera, a wealthy neighbor of ours, whose 
lands extended from the southern boundary of San 
Pablo to this village. 

f El Rastro is noted for the beauty and fresh com¬ 
plexion of the women, in spite of an ardent climate; 
and the males for their singular propensity to abstract 
the hair from the manes and tails of horses stopping 
a*t their village. This they often practise under the 
very noses of the unfortunate owners, for the purpose 


ACROSS THE PAMPAS. 


137 


of converting it into halters for their own steeds. 
Thus many a fine animal, which is supposed to he se¬ 
curely quartered for the night, is found next morning 
so shamefully disfigured that he can scarcely be rec¬ 
ognized by his owner, who swears by all the saints 
in the calendar to take summary vengeance on the 
first rastrero * who may chance to cross his path. 
Fortunately we had no cause of complaint, as our 
droves were constantly under the surveillance of a 
dozen or more vigilant keepers, perfectly an fait to 
the peculiar taste of that community. 

The beautiful complexion of the women is the 
more extraordinary from the fact that this village, 
which stands on the southern edge of the plateau, is 
'entirely exposed to the glare of a tropical sun, and the 
hot breezes of the east. I nowhere met during my 
journey, such rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes as in 
this miserable hamlet. I could almost fancy them 
the fairies of the wilderness, bewitching the unsus¬ 
pecting traveller, while their perfidious helpmates 
practise their rascally tricks. 

These high terraces possess the advantage of being 
free from those noxious exhalations which render the 
plains below so unhealthy at certain seasons. Owing 
to the nature of the soil, mostly composed of a loose 
conglomerate or shingle, no permanent deposits of 
stagnant water are formed, endangering the health of 
the inhabitants, who are often blessed with a “ green 
old age” and the possession of unimpaired mental 
and bodily faculties. Many are the instances where 


Rastrero —a native of El Rastro—literally, a mean rogue. 


138 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


men attaining seventy and eighty years are still able 
to take part in the hardy ventures of the country 
along with their more youthful companions. Among 
our own party w r e had several individuals of this class 
who, after experiencing all the vicissitudes of a de¬ 
structive w T ar, had seen many a hot summer roll by, 
and camped out amidst the drenching showers of the 
rainy season, without any material change in their 
physique. Of these were Santos Nieves, the horse 
tamer, whose only food consisted of jerked beef, 
cheese, and papelon , upon which he had thrived ad¬ 
mirably up to the age of seventy; Crisostomo, the 
negro major domo of San Pablo, who had lost all 
recollection of his earlier days; Conrado, the horse 
driver, whose age and experience in conducting our 
refractory madrinas had entitled him to the revered 
appelation of taita or father. But the most extra¬ 
ordinary instance of longevity which has come to my 
ears, is in the Monagas family, also hailing from those 
regions, the age and number of wfiose members se¬ 
riously alarmed the republic at one time; for the 
multitude of their rapacious demands appeared end¬ 
less. The patriarch of the family is said to have at¬ 
tained the moderate age of one hundred and twenty 
years, yet was able to scour the savannas on horse¬ 
back after the cattle up to the time of his death. The 
memorable Jose Tadeo, the late Dictator and tyrant 
of the republic, is yet in his prime at the age of 
seventy-nine, while his brothers Gregorio and Jose 
Francisco, whose vandalic career of plunder and as¬ 
sassination was—happily for the country that gave 
them birth—cut off by a late revolution, did not 


ACROSS THE PAMPAS. 


139 


show the least signs of unabated vigor at the time of 
their death, although one of them was considerably 
older than Tadeo. And last, though not least, the 
renowned zambo general, Sotillo, the pet bull-dog of 
the family, to which, however, he bears no other re¬ 
lationship than that existing among rogues of the 
same stamp: although then in his eightieth year, he 
was able to carry on a successful partisan warfare 
against the existing government. Without a roof to 
shelter him, and no other equipment of war than the 
lance and horse, this savage chieftain, for such he is 
by birth and education, has set at defiance all the 
forces sent in his pursuit, and nearly brought the 
country to the verge of barbarism in his strivings to 
uphold the iniquitous claims of this rapacious family. 
Fierce in looks and menacing in tone, with a head 
more like a polar bear than a South American savage, 
he has become for a long time the terror of the eastern 
provinces, which are in constant dread of his sudden 
attacks—now cutting off small detachments of troops 
and defenceless individuals, now retreating to his 
fastness amidst the arid plains of the Alto Llano at 
the approach of a superior force. He has even suc¬ 
ceeded in defeating such on two or three occasions by 
his cunning manoeuvring and the rapidity ol his 
movements. During half a century, his favorite oc¬ 
cupation has been hunting wild cattle and waging a 
guerilla warfare against .society, which too often has 
been compelled to yield to the savage demands of 
this Bedouin of the Llanos. 

Having partaken of a substantial breakfast, we 


140 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


bade adieu to our kind host, and again betook our¬ 
selves to our long and weary journey across the Pam¬ 
pas. Descending to the plain, stretching for a thou¬ 
sand miles to the foot of the Bolivian Andes, we at 
once entered into an entirely different country, show¬ 
ing unmistakable proofs of a diluvial origin. The 
soil, mostly a mixture of clay and sand, no longer 
offended the feet of our horses with those extensive 
beds of pebbles so trying to the poor beasts. The 
vegetation, also, whenever favored by some accident 
of the ground, showed a marked difference in charac¬ 
ter. The thorny mimosas, which only thrive in a 
gravelly soil, here disappeared altogether, and were 
replaced by dense groves of laurel and other balsam¬ 
iferous trees. The Copernicia palms, so extensively 
used for thatching and other economic purposes, re¬ 
appeared at first in a few scattered clumps, and after¬ 
wards in countless multitudes, literally closing the 
perspective with their tall, slender trunks. This 
beautiful palm is known in the country under various 
names, according to the uses made of its separate 
parts. These are almost as numerous as the leaves 
of its dense, symmetrical foliage. Thus, by the rural 
architect of the Llanos, it is called palma de cobija — 
thatch palm. When its leaves are plaited and neatly 
braided into hats that never wear out, it bears the 
name of palma de sombrero ; and when the same are 
employed in driving off the myriads of flies that in¬ 
fest the premises, or in fanning the heated dweller in 
those regions, it is called palma abanico j and so on 
through a long catalogue. 

A house thatched with this palm is not only im- 


, ACROSS THE PAMPAS. 


141 


pervious to tlie pouring showers of the tropics, but 
against fire also, as it is nearly incombustible: a hot 
coal dropped on it will only burn slowly where it 
falls, without spreading or raising any flame. It is, 
moreover, very durable and cool throughout the hot¬ 
test months. All the fences and corrals of the region 
where it abounds are made of the entire trunks of this 
palm, while the cattle find a grateful shelter under its 
dense shade. The slowness of its growth, observable 
even after centuries have elapsed, is another curious 
peculiarity of this palm. When Europeans first pen¬ 
etrated this wild region, they found extensive tracks 
covered with low, apparently stunted plants, a few 
inches only above ground. According to the recol¬ 
lection of the oldest inhabitants, of whom there are 
many in the country, as I have already stated, these 
dwarfish palm forests have not altered very percep¬ 
tibly during their lives. It must therefore have taken 
a full-grown plant thousands of years to attain the 
height of twenty feet, which is their average size. 

Emerging from these extensive ‘palmares —palm 
forests—we again found ourselves in the midst of the 
boundless plain, assuming here as desolate an aspect 
as if fire had passed over its entire surface, a dreary 
waste of dried-up swamps, parched by the burning 
sun. Dismal tracts of these terroneros , as they are 
termed, lay before us, having the appearance of an 
extensive honey-comb, over which our jaded beasts 
stumbled at every step, increasing our weariness to a 
state almost bordering Qn desperation. The action of 
the rains washing the earth from around the grass 
tufts, which are afterwards parched and hardened by 


142 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


the heat of the sun, leaves the surface of the ground 
covered with numerous little clumps of indurated 
clay, so closely packed that there was no footing for 
the animals. 

Even the cattle seemed to have forsaken this in¬ 
hospitable region, for, with the exception of a few 
stragglers, there were no signs of animation. Most 
of the cattle are transferred at this season to the fer¬ 
tile shores of the Apure and Portuguesa; or they 
abandon of their own accord these dreary wastes for 
well-known streams where they allay their thirst. 
Ours was intense on this occasion, while the tantaliz¬ 
ing mirage, that singular atmospheric phenomenon so 
peculiar to arid deserts, haunted us incessantly with 
its rippling, vapory phantom, a feeling in which our 
poor beasts seemed to participate, as with outstretched 
necks and ears they snuffed in vain the far horizon in 
search of the reviving element. By an unpardonable 
oversight, our men had neglected to fill their gourds 
with water, and now we felt the want of it. 

These scenes have been described so graphically 
by the eloquent pen of Humboldt, in his “ Tableaux 
de la Nature,” that I will not attempt it further, but 
refer my reader to the following: 

“When under the vertical rays of the never- 
clouded sun, the carbonized tufty covering falls into 
dust, the indurated soil cracks asunder as if from the 
shock of an earthquake. If at such times two oppos¬ 
ing currents of air, whose conflicts produce a rotary 
motion, come in contact with the soil, the plain as¬ 
sumes a strange and singular aspect. Like conical¬ 
shaped clouds, the points of which descend to the 


ACROSS THE PAMPAS. 


143 


earth, the sand rises through the rarified air in the 
electrically charged centre of the whirling current, 
resembling the loud waterspout dreaded by the ex¬ 
perienced mariner. The lowering sky sheds a dim, 
almost straw-colored light on the desolate plain; the 
horizon draws suddenly near; the steppe seems to con¬ 
tract, and with it the heart of the wanderer. The hot, 
dusty particles which fill the air, increase its suffocating 
heat, and the east wind blowing over the long-heated 
soil brings with it no refreshment, but rather a still 
more burning glow. The pools, which the yellow, 
fading branches of the fan palm had protected from 
evaporation, now gradually disappear. As in the icy 
north the animals become torpid with cold, so here, 
under the influence of the parching drought, the croco¬ 
dile and the boa become motionless and fall asleep, 
deeply buried in the dry mud. Everywhere the death- 
threatening drought prevails, and yet, by the play of 
the refracted rays of light producing the phenomenon 
of the mirage, the thirsty traveller is everywhere pur¬ 
sued by the illusive image of a cool, rippling, watery 
mirror. The distant palm bush, apparently raised by 
the influence of the contact of unequally heated, and 
therefore unequally dense strata of air, hovers above 
the ground, from which it is separated by a narrow 
intervening margin.” 

Indeed, so perfect was this illusion of the mirage, 
that on one occasion Mr. Thomas and myself were en¬ 
tirely deceived by the appearance of a beautiful lake 
which we prepared to sketch. But what was our sur¬ 
prise when, on climbing a tree to obtain a better view, 
the phantom disappeared as if by magic ! This occurs 


144 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


whenever the spectator places himself above the line 
of the natural horizon. 

At length we reached a solitary pool of muddy 
water in the midst of the savanna, which was hailed 
with joy by man and beast; but, on nearer inspec¬ 
tion, the thirsty travellers were seized with disgust 
and disappointment on seeing several dead and dying 
animals embedded in the mud. These quagmires 
form extensive barriers in some places, especially in 
dried-up creeks where hundreds of animals perish 
every year, being unable to extricate themselves from 
the adhesive quality of the clay. At our approach 
two hideous alligators rushed into the pond, and thus 
the scanty portion that had not been disturbed by 
the tramping of animals was in a moment thickened 
like the rest. However, there being no other alter¬ 
native, we were compelled to follow the example of 
our sturdy Llaneros, who proceeded without much 
consideration to dip their calabashes into that species 
of mud soup; then covering the mouths of the totu- 
mas with our handkerchiefs, we sucked through them 
this miserable substitute for water. 

About noon we descried a speck in the horizon, 
looking like a sail at sea. Increasing in size as we 
neared it, it soon appeared to be a solitary mound or 
promontory; by degrees it assumed more distinct¬ 
ness, finally presenting to our view all the luxuri¬ 
ance of tropical vegetation. This was the Mata de 
San Pedro, a sort of island grove of splendid forest 
trees, which, like a veritable oasis, stood in the midst 
of those desert plains, a relief to the parched and 
wayworn traveller. Mata is the name by which tho 


ACROSS THE PAMPAS. 


145 


natives designate these lovely gems of the Pampas, 
no less cherished than are those of the famed African 
Desert by the wearied caravan; like them, they re¬ 
ceive appropriate names from some peculiarity of 
feature or other trivial cause, as Mata Gorda, Mata 
Bedonda, &c. But whatever be the name, all hail 
with joy these verdant bowers, a cool retreat to every 
species of animal in summer, and a safe refuge during 
the season of floods, for, being somewhat higher than 
the surrounding country, they are rarely overflowed 
by the periodical inundations. 

It was entirely dark on our arrival at the Mata, 
and we were then so weary that there was little in¬ 
clination evinced to make any preparations for sup¬ 
per, and we were also greatly in need of water. Al¬ 
though the earth was parched by the long drought, 
Providence has placed a few feet below the surface 
an unlimited supply of the purest water. This can 
be obtained at any time by merely digging for it 
with a wooden pole sharpened at one end. In the 
present instance we were spared this trouble, as some 
of our people, well acquainted with the place, knew 
where one of these primitive wells could be found. 
Our first business, therefore, was to seek for th ejaguey 
in spite of the deadly rattlesnakes said to abound 
there. From this we obtained sufficient water for 
ourselves and riding horses, the other animals being 
left to shift for themselves, always under the close 
vigilance, however, of the watchmen appointed for 
the night. These men had a hard task : apart from 
the fatigue of keeping awake and on horseback all 


146 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

night, they were in constant fear of a sudden stfhn- 
pede among the horses, which not unfrequently oc¬ 
curs. To provide against a contretemps of the sort, 
those in immediate use were secured nightly by straps 
attached to the feet, which prevented their straying 
far from the camp. 

We rose very early, judging from the height of 
the Lucero or morning star—which in those solitudes 
takes the place of town clock—whose brilliancy almost 
equals that of the full moon. I nowhere recollect 
having seen this gorgeous luminary of morning shed 
such radiant streams of light as in the ever-cloudless 
sky of the Llanos during* the summer months. In 
equal proportion all the other heavenly bodies seem 
there to vie with each other in heightening the splen¬ 
dor of that glorious firmament, cheering the heart of 
the wanderer who finds himself, like the mariner on 
the high seas, encompassed only by the vault of 
heaven, whose glowing lamps were then out unerring 
guide towards the south, enabling us to dispense with 
compass or any landmarks by which to direct our 
course. Towards evening, we deviated a little from 
it, hoping to reach a cattle-farm, intending to pass 
the night there; but our horses being almost ex¬ 
hausted from the roughness of the ground, compelled 
us to stop by the banks of a treeless creek abounding 
in alligators; this we knew by the strong odor of 
musk which pervaded the air. In spite of their prox¬ 
imity, which made me start more than once in my 
dreams, we slept soundly in our ponchos on the hard 
ground, for want of trees from which to sling our 
hammocks. This lack of firewood compelled us also 















A PRAIRIE ON FIRE. 








































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































ACROSS THE PAMPAS. 


147 


to go supperless that night and without breakfast 
next morning. After a long search we finally suc¬ 
ceeded in collecting a handful of drift wood along the 
banks of the creek, enabling Monico to make us a 
stimulating cup of coffee in which to “drown our 
sorrows.” 

Midday brought us to the cattle-farm we were in 
quest of, when immediate preparations were made for 
an ample meal, which should compensate us for pre¬ 
vious privations. The overseer informed us that not 
far from the house was a herd of cattle bearing our 
brand. Thither we despatched two men in search of 
the fattest among them. In a short time they re¬ 
turned with a fine cow, which was speedily slaugh¬ 
tered and spitted before a blazing fire kindled under 
three stupendous mimosa trees bearing flat, kidney- 
shaped legumes or pods six inches in circumference. 
Our hunger appeased, we spread our ponchos under 
the shade of these giants of the vegetable world, and 
slept until noon, when we were again in our saddles 
prosecuting the journey through a less monotonous 
landscape. The plain, although still preserving the 
same rough character, was diversified with groves of 
other leguminous trees, (Canafistulos,) the pods of 
which were nearly three feet in length, and contain a 
black pulp valuable as a cathartic. 

Towards evening we were gratified by seeing, for 
the first time, that splendid spectacle, a prairie on 
fire. The grass, parched with the burning sun, is 
purposely fired by the natives to promote the growdh 
of the new crop, which last, owing to the heavy dbws, 
starts long before the rainy season sets in. The con- 


148 . 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


flagration extended for more than three miles, the 
strong evening breeze driving it onward in curling 
fiery billows. Yolumes of smoke loaded with burn¬ 
ing particles of grass, ascended in clouds, increasing 
the grandeur and beauty of the scene by their various 
tints of red, pink, and purple, diffused throughout the 
atmosphere. Aided by this illumination, we were 
enabled to discover a solitary ranch, where we tarried 
the remainder of the night, although there .was noth¬ 
ing to be had there in the shape of edibles. Fortun¬ 
ately one of our party had shot a number of wild 
ducks in a lagoon, and a provident individual had 
saved some choice morsels of the cow. There was 
some difficulty in procuring wood enough for a fire, 
but a couple of rafters from the old ranch afforded 
the needful fuel, and thus we were happily prevented 
passing a supperless, as well as comfortless night. 

Many hours before daybreak we were again up, 
saddling and loading our animals, which, owing to 
the darkness, was always the most irksome part of 
the journey. We were, however, most happy to bid 
adieu to the solitary ranch with its myriads of bats, 
the only tenants we encountered there. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


LA POETUGUESA. 

Again we were under way, and again our eyes en¬ 
countered only the flat monotonous plain on all sides 
sweeping to the Iiorizon, varied only in being more 
barren, rougher, and consequently more exhausting to 
our horses than any of the preceding. Many of the 
riders dismounted, that the poor brutes might be re¬ 
lieved as much as possible, and accomplished the re¬ 
mainder of the journey on foot. This occasioned a 
burning thirst, which the scant supply of water in our 
gourds was not sufficient to allay ; and it was not until 
noon had long passed, that our guides, pointing to a 
blue ridge of forest in the distance, informed us it 
marked the course of the river Portuguesa, our intend¬ 
ed halting place, and on the borders of which we pur¬ 
posed spending several days. The cavalcade, inspir¬ 
ited by this view, pressed forward as rapidly as their 
exhausted condition would permit, and fortunately 
reached the pass before nightfall. 

This beautiful river has its rise in the mountains 


150 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of Trujillo, and connects the fertile province of Bari¬ 
llas with the sea, through the Apure and Orinoco, 
being in fact one of the principal tributaries of the 
former. Its commercial advantages, as may be 
imagined, are of great importance to the interior of 
a country so distant from the ocean, and whose prin¬ 
cipal products consist in the bulky yield of the plan¬ 
tations. It is navigable during a great portion of the 
year, especially for steam vessels, and I am happy 
to learn that the great civilizer of the world—steam 
—has at length been introduced there through the 
enterprising energy of some Yankee speculators. 

The banks of the river, being both high and pre¬ 
cipitous, a passage to it can only be accomplished at 
certain points, where the hand of man and the tramp 
of animals have cut deep trenches, forming paths to 
the water’s edge. On this occasion, we sought the 
pass of San Jaime, where a ferryman is stationed with 
a canoe to take across any who desire it. Horses, 
however, being excellent swimmers, are left to ferry 
themselves over. Our first care on arriving at the 
pass was to unload our beasts of burden, and unsaddle 
our steeds for the purpose of allowing them to cool 
before entering the water, a precaution which, if neg¬ 
lected, not unfrequently proves fatal to both man and 
beast. This duty fulfilled, we proceeded to hail the 
Canoero, whose ranch was perched upon the south 
bank of the river. The knowledge that he would re¬ 
ceive a “ real ” for every man and beast that crossed, 
besides various perquisites from passengers whom he 
supplied with meals during their sojourn at his ranch, 
so expedited his motions, that in a few moments his frail 


LA PORTUGUESA. 


15 ( 

barge received its first load, eacli person taking liis 
own chattels with him. A boy of fifteen, naked and 
sunburnt, paddled the canoe, while the ferryman 
steered it by means of his canalete. The utmost care 
was necessary to prevent the overturn of the crazy 
skitf, which reeled at every stroke of the paddle, 
threatening to pitch all its contents overboard. As 
soon as we landed on the opposite shore, the boat re¬ 
turned for a second load, and the trips were repeated 
until the whole party had crossed. There now only 
remained the horses, who being extremely shy of deep 
water, required to be forced to swim across, an op¬ 
eration demanding considerable skill on the part of 
the drivers. The only way was to give them an ex¬ 
ample ; accordingly two expert swimmers, divesting 
themselves of clothes, jumped upon the bare back 
of their horses and plunged incontinently into the 
stream. Then, sliding oft’ to one side, they allowed 
the horses to swim without encumbrance, supporting 
themselves with one hand upon the animal’s haunches, 
while with the other they guided them by means of 
a halter. Meanwhile, those that remained on shore 
set up a tremendous shouting and yelling, at the same 
time shaking their ponchos violently with the intent 
to frighten all the rest of the troop down the steep 
embankment, where, encouraged at the sight of the 
two ahead, they all entered the stream and followed 
their leaders without further difficulty. . Several large 
crocodiles, who had watched all these proceedings 
from the middle of the river, alarmed by the confu¬ 
sion, disappeared from view, and then the heads only 
of the leaders and their steeds rose, puffing and snort- 


152 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


ing, above water. In spite, however, of all the up¬ 
roar, one of these men was instantly attacked by ca- 
ribes, and very narrowly escaped serious injury from 
them. I was standing at the time on the opposite 
side of the river, watching this novel mode of ferrying, 
and observed that the man, abandoning his horse, 
endeavored to reach the bank by long strides, occa¬ 
sionally lashing himself with a coiled lazo he carried 
in his hand. It immediately occurred to me that he 
might have been attacked by crocodiles, a belief 
which was strengthened on seeing the poor fellow’s 
sides streaming blood as he stepped upon the beach. 
My first apprehension was quickly dispelled by his 
pointing to a circular wound on his shoulder, about 
the size of a quarter dollar, and to others as severe on 
various parts of his body, inflicted by caribes. Had 
the man been a less expert swimmer, or the water less 
agitated, the accident would undoubtedly have proved 
more serious; as it was, we were considerably alarmed 
for the fate of the other man, who, however, happily 
escaped unhurt. 

The surprising boldness of these diminutive fish, 
naturally increased my anxiety to examine more mi¬ 
nutely into their peculiarities, than I had yet the op¬ 
portunity of doing. I therefore determined to procure 
fresh specimens, if possible. On a former occasion I 
had lost most of my trout hooks, but I still preserved 
some larger ones, mounted with copper wire, to be 
used in the rivers of the Apure; these I supposed 
proof against the teeth of any fish, and no sooner 
were we established in the ranch of the ferryman, 
than, taking my lines I hastened to the river accom- 


LA PORTUGUESA. 


153 


panied by my English co-laborer, the artist. The 
hooks were baited with pieces of fresh beef, and 
dropped with great precaution near the shore. 
Scarcely did the bait touch the water, when it was 
seized by caribes. Without allowing them time, as it 
seemed, to get the whole of it between their jaws, 
,we pulled in the lines, but, alas! minus hooks, as 
well as bait. On examination, we discovered that 
one of the hooks had been cut through, while the 
other was severed from the wire. Still, we persevered, 
but invariably with the same unfortunate result. 

Greatly annoyed, I turned to question a Llanero, 
who stood near laughing at what he considered my 
simplicity. Another tapped me gently on the shoul¬ 
der, and addressed me with “ Nino, you might as 
well attempt to catch a rattlesnake by the tail ” (a 
favorite expression among them) “ as to think of 
hooking one of those chaps.” What is to be done, 
then? for I must have at least a couple of these 
scoundrels, said I. “ Who ever saw a genteel young 
gentleman like yourself, with a taste for such disgust¬ 
ing creatures ? ” he replied, imagining that I wanted 
them for eating. On my explanation that my object 
was simply to sketch and preserve them in spirits, 
they advised me to procure a piece of tough skin from 
the head of an ox which was then being slaughtered, 
and to suspend it from a strip of the same material. 
I immediately followed their instructions, and shortly 
repaired again to the river. Seating myself on the 
stern of the canoe, which was moored across the 
stream, I dropped my novel bait into the water, and 
watched for the result with the utmost interest. In 


154 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


a moment a shoal of caribes collected around the bait 
and commenced attacking it voraciously. Finding 
the thick cartilage too tough even for their sharp 
teeth, and unwilling to give it up, they continued 
gnawing at it like so many little hyenas. When I 
imagined them to be fairly “ stuck ” through the 
thick skin, I lifted the whole concern over the side 
of the canoe, and had the satisfaction of seeing about 
a dozen of the fish dancing at the bottom of my barge. 
Finding this novel style of fishing rather easy and 
entertaining, I continued it until I was suddenly ap¬ 
prised into whose company I had thrust myself by 
feeling the heel of my left foot seized by one of the 
captives with such violence as caused me to drop my 
bait, with the vicious creatures that were hanging 
from it, into the river. My only thought now was 
how to contrive my escape, having the whole length 
of the canoe to traverse, and its floor paved with 
these ravenous little wretches. My first impulse was 
to spring overboard; but a moment’s reflection con¬ 
vinced me that it would be a jump from the “ frying 
pan into the fire.” Placed thus, as it were, between 
Scylla and Charybdis, I again appealed to the inge¬ 
nuity of my former advisers for deliverance. This 
they readily accomplished by a very simple contriv¬ 
ance, consisting of a gunny bag, which they spread 
over the gaping draught of fish. In a moment their 
sharp teeth were again at work, this time among the 
tough fibres of the bag, to which they clung with the 
tenacity of bull-dogs, thus enabling us to fish them 
out again without difficulty. 

My biting experience of these little pests left me 


LA PORTUGUESA. 


155 


ih no mood to spare them, and I never missed an op¬ 
portunity of provoking a bloody conflict among them. 
"With this view I made it my daily business to scatter 
pieces of flesh in the river, which never failed in at¬ 
tracting great numbers to the spot. These devoured 
the meat in a few moments, after which, being them¬ 
selves of a red hue, and mistaking each other for the 
meat, they continued the feast by devouring one 
another, until few of them remained alive. Thus I 
accomplished my revenge upon these cannibals of the 
finny tribe. The pike and the* caribe are, I believe, 
the only fish which devour those of their own species 
when disabled. “ As no one dares to bathe where it 
is found,” remarks Humboldt in his travels, u it may 
be considered as one of the greatest scourges of those 
climates, in which the sting of the mosquitoes and the 
general irritation of the skin, render the use of baths 
so necessary.” 

Fortunately for mankind, these fish are subject to 
a yeaHy mortality during the heats of summer, when 
the water is deprived of a portion of the air it holds 
in solution. Their carcasses may then be seen float¬ 
ing on the water by thousands, while the beach is 
strewn with their bones, especially their bristling 
jaws, which render walking barefoot on the borders 
of lagoons extremely dangerous. 

To judge from the incessant turmoil in . the river 
at all hours of the night, besides evident proofs of 
their depredations during the day, I concluded that 
the havoc they commit on the other denizens of the 
water must be very great. Even the armor-clad 
crocodiles are not exempt from their attacks, when 


156 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


wounded in their own quarrels, as they sometimes are, 
during the season of their loves, for even crocodiles are 
subject to jealousy, that other “ green-eyed monster/' * 
The Waraun Indians, whom the first tribe of 
cannibals, the Caribs, compelled years ago to seek a 
refuge among the flooded lands of the great Delta of 
the Orinoco river, and who in consequence live in huts 
raised on posts above the water, without even the 
allotted space of dry ground to deposit their mortal 
remains, have adopted the curious custom of preserv¬ 
ing the bones of their deceased relations suspended 
from the roof of their aerial dwellings ; but having no 
skilful anatomists among themselves to strip the body 
of the more perishable flesh, they avail themselves of 
the voracious habits of this fish for so essential a per¬ 
formance. For this purpose they tie the corpse with 
a strong rope, and plunge it in the water, securing 
the other end of the rope to one of the pillars upon 
which their dwellings rest : in less than twenty-four 
flours the skeleton is hauled out of the water perfectly 
clean, for the teeth of the caribe have stripped it of 
flesh, arteries, tendons, etc. Now all that the mourn¬ 
ers have to do is to separate the bones, which they 
arrange with much care and nicety in baskets made 
for the purpose, gaudily ornamented with beads of va¬ 
rious colors ; and so well have they calculated before¬ 
hand the space the bones will occupy in the funereal 
urn, that the skull, tightly adjusted against the sides 
of the basket at top, comes to be the lid of it. 


* The eyes of crocodiles are green. 


LA PORTUGUESA. 


157 


During tlie annual inundation of the savannas, 
when quadrupeds perish by thousands in the vernal 
deluge, the caribes have ample field for their voracity; 
but living animals are not exempted, for they prey 
with equal fierceness upon the young calves when 
wading through the marshes, and upon the mothers, 
whose udders they so mutilate, that the young ones 
frequently perish from lack of nourishment. The 
poor cattle lead about this season a truly miserable 
life. Those that escape the teeth of the caribe, the 
coil of the anaconda, that great water serpent, or the 
jaws of the equally dreaded crocodile, are in contin¬ 
ual danger of falling a prey to the lion or the jaguar, 
while congregated upon the bancos and other places 
left dry amidst the rising waters. None, however, 
escape the tormenting sting of myriad insects 'which, 
until the waters subside, fill the air they breathe. 
Even at night, when all created beings should rest in 
peace, enormous vampires, issuing from the gloomy 
recesses of the forest, perch upon the backs of the 
sufferers and suck their life blood, all the while lull¬ 
ing them with the flapping of their spurious wings. 
In fact, it seems as if in these regions all the elements 
conspired against these useful creatures; for, after 
these varied evils have abated with the return of the 
dry season, the hand of man is also continually against 
them in harassing hunts, or in firing the ripe pastures 
which sweep their realms in devastating fury, driving 
them in consternation from the fields of their enjoy¬ 
ment. 

The crocodiles of this river are noted for being the 
most savage and daring in the Llanos. Although 


158 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


usually styled yellow caymans, to distinguish them 
from the common alligator, which is of a darker hue, 
they are in fact real crocodiles, with an acute snout, 
like those inhabiting the Nile and other celebrated 
rivers of Africa. 

While walking along the banks of the Portuguesa, 
one may see these huge lizards collected in groups of 
half a dozen or more, basking in the sunshine near 
the water, with their jaws wide open until their 
ghastly palates are filled with flies or other creatures 
alighting within them. We tried in vain shooting 
them with guns ; the reptiles were so wary, that the 
moment we took aim they rushed into the water. 
Being at a loss how to procure a subject for my pen¬ 
cil, I sought the advice of an old man, an angler by 
profession, who lived in one of the huts near the river. 
He agreed to let me have his canoe with his son to 
paddle it, and the requisite number of harpoons, pro¬ 
viding I could obtain the assistance of an Indian boy 
from the neighborhood, who was a capital marksman 
with the bow and arrow. “ What! ” I exclaimed in 
astonishment, “ do we expect to kill one of these 
monsters with so slight a thing as an arrow ? ” 
“ No, Senorito,” he calmly answered ; “ but you 
must first know where to find him under water 
before you can strike him with the harpoon; the 
arrow of which I speak is the kind we use in catching 
turtles.” These arrows are constructed so as to allow 
the head, affixed to the shaft somewhat in the manner 
of a lance, to come off the moment it strikes an object 
in the water. A slender cord, several feet in length, 


LA PORTUGUESA. 


159 


connects it with the shaft, which last is made of a 
light, buoyant reed ; around this the cord is wound 
closely until it reaches the point where the head is, 
then fastened securely. The shaft being extremely 
light, floats on the surface of the water the. moment 
it is set free from the head by the struggles of the an¬ 
imal, thus apting as a guide for its recovery. 

The old angler then .proceeded to explain that the 
operation must be conducted first by sending one of 
these arrows into the body of the crocodile to mark 
his position under water ; and then, if practicable, we 
might plunge a harpoon into the only vulnerable spot 
we could hope to reach, viz., the nape of the neck, 
after which the animal could be easily dragged on 
shore by means of strong ropes attached to the har¬ 
poon. 

Accordingly, I went in search of the Indian boy, 
whom I found under a tree, seated like a toad on his 
haunches, skinning a porcupine he had just killed. 
At my approach he raised his head and fixed on me 
his unmeaning eyes. When spoken to, he only re¬ 
plied to all my questions with the monosyllables, si, 
no. After a little coaxing, and the promise of some 
fish hooks, he followed me to the canoe without ut 1 -. 
tering a word more. We were not long in getting a 
chance to test the skill of my new acquaintance. As 
we approached the river banks, a large crocodile hove 
in sight, floating down the stream like a log of wood. 
Our position wa§ most favorable to send an arrow 
rattling through his scales, and my young Nimrod 
lost no time in improving the opportunity. Stepping 
a few paces in advance, and bending gracefully over 


160 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


the precipice, he let fly at the reptile’s head his slen¬ 
der, yellow reed, por elevation, viz., shooting the 
arrow np into the air at an angle of forty-five, which 
causes it to descend with great force upon the object, 
after describing an arc of a circle in the manner of a 
bomb-shell. Although the distance was fully three 
hundred paces, the arrow struck the mark with the 
precision of a rifle ball. v A violent plunge of the 
huge reptile was my first intimation that the trial had 
been successful, and a moment after I perceived the 
golden reed, now attached to him, skimming swiftly 
over the surface of the water. We hastened for the 
canoe, and immediately gave chase up the stream, as 
the crocodile had taken that direction. We were 
rapidly gaining upon him, when, alarmed at the sound 
of the paddles, he sunk in very deep water, as was in¬ 
dicated by the reed. This circumstance rendered it 
impossible to employ our harpoon. We tried in vain 
to start him ; he stuck to the muddy bottom whence 
neither pulls nor curses could move him. We hoped 
that in time he would come to the surface to breathe, 
and then we might strike him with a harpoon; but 
in this we were equally disappointed. After waiting 
for him two hours, we gave him up, along with the 
arrow head sticking in his own. 

I made various other attempts to secure a speci¬ 
men, but with no better result, as the river was yet 
too high to sound for them. 

While in this place, I was told several incidents 
in relation to the cunning and instinct of these sau- 
rians, one of which appeared to me most remarkable 
in an animal of the reptile tribe. The ferryman here 


LA PORTUGUESA 


161 


possessed at one time a great many goats. One day 
lie perceived that several of them had disappeared, 
and not being able to account for it in any other way, 
he at once laid the blame on the hated crocodiles, 
although these creatures seldom carry their attacks 
beyond their own element. His suspicions, he dis¬ 
covered in the end, were well founded, having wit¬ 
nessed the destruction of one of his goats in a very 
singular manner. It appeared that a crocodile had in 
some mysterious way discovered that goats delight in 
jumping from place to place, but more especially* 
from rocks or mounds. Hocks, however, being rather 
scarce in the country, their treacherous enemy under¬ 
took to gratify their taste for this innocent pastime, 
and at the same time cater to his own. Approaching 
the water’s edge to within a few feet from the bank, 
he swelled out his back in such a manner as gave it 
the appearance of a small island or promontory. The 
stupid goats perceiving this, varied their gambols by 
jumping from their secure places on shore upon the 
seeming island, which they, however, never reached, 
for the crocodile, tossing up his head at the right in¬ 
stant, received them into his open jaws, and swallowed 
them without difficulty. 

Crocodiles have a special penchant for dogs also, 
and never miss an opportunity of gratifying their 
taste for the canine. In this, however, they are often 
balked by the superior cunning of their intended tit¬ 
bits. One day I observed a couple of tiger-hounds 
quietly enjoying a cool bath in the river. Struck 
with their apparent nonchalance when in such a dan¬ 
gerous proximity, I found on inquiry that these an- 


162 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


imals never approach the water, either to drink or to 
bathe, without previously attracting the crocodiles by 
means of repeated howlings to some distant spot. 
This instinct of the dog with regard to crocodiles 
seems to he rather of antique date, for I find it re¬ 
corded in the writings of both ancient and modern 
travellers in different parts of the world. 

No person can venture near the water without 
danger from their attacks, being so treacherous that 
they approach their intended victim near enough to 
strike him with their powerful tails before he is even 
aware of their proximity. The bubbling sound of a 
gourd being filled in the water by some imprudent 
person, specially attracts them. To obviate this 
danger, a calabash bowl with a long wooden handle is 
usually employed for the purpose; yet, even this is 
not unfrequently snatched from the hands of the 
water-carrier. If by accident a human being falls a 
prey to this tyrant of the river, the reptile is then 
called cebado , which appellation implies every thing 
that is bold, ferocious, and treacherous in an animal 
of the species, as from that time they not only way¬ 
lay persons, but follow them in the canoes, in hopes 
of again securing this dainty morsel. There are, 
however, men bold enough to meet the enemy face 
to face in his own element. The man who makes up 
his mind to this encounter is well aware that this 
must be a conflict to the death for one of the antago¬ 
nists. The ferryman related to us a feat of gallantry 
worthy of a better cause, performed here by a Llanero 
with one of these monsters. The man was on his way 
to San Jaime on a pressing errand. Being in haste 


LA PORTUGUESA. 


163 


to get there the same day, he would not wait for the 
canoe to be brought to him, but prepared to swim 
across, assisted by his horse. He had already secured 
his saddle and clothes upon his head, as is usual on 
similar occasions, when the ferryman cried out to him 
to beware of a caiman cebado, then lurking near the 
pass, urging upon him, at the same time, to wait for 
the canoe. Scorning this advice, the Llanero replied 
with characteristic pride, u Let him come ; I was 
never yet afraid of man or beast.” Then laying aside 
a part of his ponderous equipment, he placed his two- 
edged dagger between his teeth, and plunged fear¬ 
lessly into the river. He had not proceeded far, 
when the monster rose and made quickly towards 
him. The ferryman crossed himself devoutly, and 
muttered the holy invocation of Jesus , Maria y 
Jose ! fearing for the life, and, above all, for the toll 
of the imprudent traveller. In the mean time, the 
swimmer continued gliding through the water tow¬ 
ards the approaching crocodile. Aware of the impos¬ 
sibility of striking his adversary a mortal blow unless 
he could reach the armpit, he awaited the moment 
when the reptile should attack him, to throw his sad¬ 
dle at him. This he accomplished sb successfully, 
that the crocodile, doubtless imagining it to be some 
sort of good eating, jumped partly out of the* water 
to catch it. Instantly the Llanero plunged his dagger 
up to the very hilt into the fatal spot. A hoarse 
grunt and a tremendous splash showed that the blow 
was mortal, for the ferocious monster sunk beneath 
the waves to rise no more. 

Proud of this achievement, and scorning the tardy 


164 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


assistance of the ferryman, who offered to pick him up 
in his canoe, he waved his bloody dagger in the air, 
exclaiming, as he did so : “ Is there no other about 
here ? ” and then turning, he swam leisurely back to 
take his horse across. 

The canoero who related this adventure then 
added : “ So delighted was I on that occasion, that 
I killed my fattest hen to treat the man to a good 
sancocho, for the caiman had devoured all my goats.” 

But this is only one of the many exploits con¬ 
stantly being enacted in these regions, by the bold 
race of men inhabiting them. 



There is still living at San Fernando, a town at 
the confluence of the Apure and Portuguesa rivers, 
another individual equally bold in attacking croco¬ 
diles, in which warfare he uses only a wooden mace 
or club. He is possibly one of the greatest swimmers 









LA PORTUGUESA. 


165 


in that or any other country, having repeatedly ac¬ 
complished the run between San Fernando and El 
Diamante—a plantation which he owns three miles 
below the town—without once stopping on the way. 
Armed with his heavy club in one hand, and a bottle 
of rum in the other, to keep himself in good spirits, 
this modern Hercules will, for the fun of it, during 
a spree, provoke a fight with a caiman cebado; and 
so effectual has been his warfare, that he has ac¬ 
tually succeeded in driving them away from the pass, 
formerly so infested by them, that scarcely a year 
elapsed in which numbers of persons were not carried 
off by them, helpless washerwomen especially. 

I observed, also, at La Portuguesa, a great num¬ 
ber of fresh-water porpoises or toninas , as they are 
called there, swimming with rapidity against the cur¬ 
rent, and bending their backs gracefully like their 
congeners of the sea. Crocodiles appeared to avoid 
them, and would invariably dive out of the way at 
their approach. It is probable that from this circum¬ 
stance arose the current belief that toninas will be¬ 
friend persons when they chance to fall into the water, 
against the attacks of crocodiles. It is, moreover, as¬ 
serted that these cetacea will rescue a man from drown¬ 
ing, pushing him on to the shore with their snouts. In 
acknowledgment of this animal philanthropy, the hand 
of man is there never raised against these inoffensive 
creatures ; and so conscious are they of this, that they 
seem rather to delight in his neighborhood, sporting 
around the canoes which ascend the river, and spouting 
jets of water and compressed air like miniature whales. 


CHAPTER IX. 


THE APURE RIVER. 

We tarried several days at La Portuguesa to afford 
our horses time to recover from the fatigues of the 
previous rough journeys. We also expected to incor¬ 
porate there another drove, which having been kept 
throughout the summer grazing in the ever-verdant 
meadows of this river, were now in very fine condi¬ 
tion. In the mean time, we were agreeably occupied 
in hunting, fishing and dancing; the people of the 
neighborhood being sufficient for our social enter¬ 
tainments. 

Every morning we rode out to the savannas to 
hunt an ox for our meals. The remainder of the day 
was occupied in scouring the adjacent woods and 
plains after our steeds, who seemed as if conscious of 
the life that awaited them beyond La Portuguesa; 
for it required all the ingenuity and sagacity of the 
Llaneros to discover their hiding-places, and bring 
them again to the corrals. The evenings were de¬ 
voted to dancing and singing by the light of half a 


THE APURE RIVER. 


167 


dozen candiles , or lamps made of burned clay, and 
filled 'with, the grease of crocodiles. The habitations 
being considerably scattered along the banks of the 
river, we employed a number of runners for the pur¬ 
pose of bringing the company to the fandango , as 
these nocturnal revelries ’are called, who came in 
canoes or wading through the mud as occasion re¬ 
quired. 

And now, refined and courteous reader, picture to 
yourself a motley assemblage, brought together with¬ 
out any regard to color, age, or position, under an 
open shed or barracoon dimly lighted, and you will 
form an idea of our soirees dansantes , which for merri¬ 
ment and courtesy might with good reason have been 
the envy of the most polished reunions. 

The orchestra was composed of a guitar scarcely 
larger than the hand that twanged it, a banjo of huge 
proportions, and a couple of noisy maracas , rattle- 
boxes made from the shell of the calabash fruit, and 
filled with the seed of a Marantha or Indian shot. 
No music is considered complete without this accom¬ 
paniment, which, as well as I could judge, filled the 
place of castanets, or the less romantic “ bones ” of 
negro minstrelsy. A wooden handle is attached to 
each, to enable the performer to shake them to and 
fro, which he does with appropriate gestures and con¬ 
tortions expressive of his different emotions. A cor¬ 
responding choir of singers, picked from our own 
suite, was attached to the players. All Llaneros are 
passionately fond of music, and display considerable 
talent, composing many beautiful songs of a national 
character, called tonos or trovas llaneras. Few in 


168 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


the country are not gifted with the power of versifica¬ 
tion, and there are among them many famous impro- 
visatori. Whenever two of these are brought to¬ 
gether, a competition for the laurel crown is the in¬ 
variable consequence. This amicable strife sometimes 
occupies several successive* hours, ending only when 
one of the bards is fairly silenced by the other; the 
victor is then declared the lion of the fete and receives 
accordingly not only the congratulations of his ad¬ 
mirers, but also secures the smiles of the most spark¬ 
ling eyes in the company. It is really surprising to 
see men, who cannot distinguish one letter of the al¬ 
phabet from another, compose and extemporize poetry 
which, although rude in character, is nevertheless full 
of interest and significance. Most of their songs and 
ballads refer to deeds of valor performed by their own 
heroes; while others recount their love adventures, 
and daily struggles with the wild and unsubdued 
nature which surrounds them. Their instruments, 
when handled with skill, produce very harmonious 
sounds. The bandola or banjo bears no resemblance 
to the one in common use among the negroes of the 
States. It is, in fact, a guitar of large proportions, 
shaped somewhat like the lute of old. The guitar of 
the Llanos is the reverse of its associate the banjo, 
being considerably smaller and with only five strings, 
on which account it is called Cinco. Still, it is a 
very noisy little instrument, all its cords being made 
to resound at once by running the fingers of the right 
hand up and down over them, while those of the left 
stop them at the right moment. 

The dancers do not grapple with each other, as is 


THE APURE RIVER. 


169 


the practice among some of the more enlightened, 
hut dance alone, joining hands occasionally for a few 
moments, and then separating and whirling round by 
themselves. First, a woman paces round the room 
in double-quick step, looking for a partner; when a 
suitable one is found, a graceful waving of the hand¬ 
kerchief summons him before her ; then both go 
through their evolutions until the woman chooses to 
withdraw. The man then with a polite bow invites 
a second partner, and so on to the end of the first 
dance. This is styled the Galeron , in which only the 
most skilful dancers take part, as it requires great 
flexibility of joint and limb to execute all the intricate 
and graceful posturings and swayings of the body, 
constituting the principal charm of the performance. 
They have a variety of other dances, such as La 
Maricela , El Baspon , La Zapa , &c., all of which, 
however, are of the same character, the chief differ¬ 
ence being in the double entendre of the stanzas sung 
as accompaniment to the music. La Maricela , espe¬ 
cially, is a very exciting dance, from the satirical bon 
mots hurled by the bard of the evening at each couple 
as they pass. The facility with which these verses are 
improvised is most amusing, and would even astonish 
the most accomplished Neapolitan improvisatore. 
Some of them are capital hits upon the personal ap¬ 
pearance, &c., of the dancers, and none fail to find 
some point for ridicule. 

Three or four days we sojourned among these jolly 
people, and then again set out for the scene of our 
future adventures, stopping for the night at San 


170 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Jaime, once a thriving town, but now nearly deserted 
in consequence of the desolating civil wars which 
have afflicted the country for several years. On our 
way thither, we traversed a succession of beautiful 
prairies, bound by rings of magnificent forest trees, 
and watered by numerous creeks and lagoons filled 
with water fowl. Unlike the dreary wastes we had 
already crossed, which, “ like the ocean, fill the imagi- 
ation with the idea of infinity,” the plains stretching 
between the Portuguesa and Apure rivers are char¬ 
acterized by the rankness and luxuriance of the vege¬ 
tation. Owing to the periodical inundation, the land¬ 
scape wears here the green mantle of spring even 
during the hottest months. 

This yearly inundation is one of the most curious 
phenomena of this region. At the approach of the 
rainy season, those two magnificent offsprings of the 
Sierra Nevada, the Apure and Portuguesa, tired as it 
were of their long repose, suddenly rise in their 
heated, muddy beds, and leap over their borders, at 
first in playful gambols; then in fearful and rapid 
course, converting these widely extended plains into 
a vast lagoon. To the few spots which escape the 
general submersion, the inhabitants retire with their 
chattels and flocks in canoes held in readiness for the 
purpose. 

Thus the land is kept in a state of constant irriga¬ 
tion and fertility unsurpassed in any country, although 
at the expense of the comfort of the inhabitants, who 
are compelled to abandon their homes to the croco¬ 
diles and anacondqs of the stream. When the waters 
subside, the intruders are expelled by the rightful 


THE APURE RIVER. 


171 


owners of the dwellings ; the few articles of furniture 
they possess replaced in the damp rooms, and they 
again devote themselves to domestic pursuits until the 
next inundation forces them anew to seek a home 
elsewhere. I was shown at the pass the marks left 
by the water on the walls of the cottages, indicating 
in some instances a rise of twelve feet. 

I was struck with the size and luxuriance of the 
trees along the course of these rivers. My attention 
was particularly attracted by the saman , a species of 
Mimosa, with delicate, feathery flowers of a pinkish 
hue, and gigantic, umbrella-shaped boughs. There 
is in the valleys of Aragua one of these which, from 
time immemorial, has elicited the admiration of 
travellers, and received the protection of the law 
since the discovery and settlement of the country, 
for its magnificent proportions and the great age 
which it is supposed to have attained. 

Extensive tracts of land are entirely taken up by 
individuals of this class. It would be impossible to 
conceive any thing more grand in nature than a forest 
of these trees. It might be said of them that each is 
a forest in itself; and were all the beautiful parasites 
that cling to their trunks and branches for support 
spread upon the ground, they would cover several 
acres. All along the course of the great rivers Apure, 
Guarico, and Portuguesa, the saman is found in such 
countless numbers that the combined fleets of the 
civilized world might be reconstructed from this in¬ 
exhaustible supply. The axe of the northerner could 
readily convert those stupendous forests into vehicles 


172 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of commerce and civilization, were it not for the wast¬ 
ing fevers, endemic of that region. ."Now they only 
serve as protective haunts for desperate bands of rob¬ 
bers and cut-throats, let loose by unprincipled poli¬ 
ticians. 



Equally rank and luxuriant are the grasses in 
these alluvial lands. We were compelled to drive 
before us all the relay horses and other beasts of bur¬ 
den to open a passage and save our bare feet from 
being dreadfully lacerated by the gamelote , a tall, 
cutting, and worthless grass, with blades almost as 
sharp as a “ Toledo.” It grows so closely and rapidly 
as to obliterate in a few days the paths made by 
travellers, killing every other species in its way. Un¬ 
fortunately, it is perfectly useless as fodder, except 
for Chigiiires or water-hogs, which feed on it when 
nothing better offers, and to the flesh of which it im¬ 
parts its disagreeable flavor ; the gamelote is therefore 
consigned to the flannes as soon as it is ripe enough 
to burn, which it does with as much seeming fury as 


THE APURE RIVER. -[73 

it displayed against the feet and legs of travellers in 
its green days. 

On the second night of onr journey, we pitched 
our camp near several ponds, literally crowded with 
alligators and fish and water fowl of all varieties, 
which kept up a continual strife, to our great discom¬ 
fort. Not only was the water rendered noxious by 
the numerous creatures in it, but even the air was 
filled with the effluvium and mosquitoes arising there¬ 
from. We were compelled to dig wells in the vicin¬ 
ity of the lagoons to obtain water for our use; but 
no artifice could shield us from the unmerciful attacks 
of the mosquitoes, especially the kind called pul- 
lones , from the length and strength of the proboscis. 
We tried in vain to escape their painful sting by roll¬ 
ing ourselves from head to foot in our ponchos and 
hammocks, at the peril of suffocation ; the needle-like 
proboscis of the insects actually penetrated through 
the folds of our covering so as to draw blood. Nor 
would the smoke of the blazing fires around the 
camp drive them off, as was anticipated. Fortunately, 
they only paid us an early visit, retiring all at once 
before midnight, and leaving us to the tender mercies 
of their kinsfolk, the noisy mosquitoes or zancudos. 
These, although not so tormenting with their sting, 
were none the less so with their music, while no part 
of our bodies could be left uncovered without being 
instantly besieged by swarms of these “ howling-insect 
wolves.” This, however, was the only occasion upon 
which we were troubled by mosquitoes during our 
journey, as they only appear in force.during the rainy 
season. 


174 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


I noticed here for the first time a low range of 
hills or medanos , mere accumulations of sand tossed 
from place to place by the winds across the boundless 
plain; to-day, they rise above the surrounding prai¬ 
ries ; to-morrow, they are levelled with the dust of the 
savannas: fit emblem of the ephemeral republics of 
the South ! These medanos had been overrun by the 
gamelote , giving them the character of permanent 
hills, from which the place takes the name of Me¬ 
danos de San Martin. 

It is scarcely necessary to say that there was no 
temptation to prolong our stay there longer than was 
needed by our horses, who revelled all night in the 
fine meadows around the lagoons. Packing up once 
more, we bade adieu to that inhospitable encampment 
long before daylight. 

Struggling through miles of gamelote, we reached 
the cattle farm of Corozito towards noon. Don Lu¬ 
ciano Samuel, the proprietor, extended to us the hos¬ 
pitalities of his demesne with the characteristic grace 
and frankness of the people in those regions. Prom 
thence to the Pass of Apurito, on the river Apure, 
was only a few hours’ ride; and the morning being 
the best time for crossing.the river with our animals, 
we rose early in order to reach it before the breeze 
should commence blowing. 

Owing to the thick vegetation on its banks, we 
did not discover the river until we were close upon 
it; and then, with what delight did I again view the 
broad surface of this magnificent stream ! 

Although born near its shores, I had but a faint 
recollection of its broad expanse. Perhaps its turbu- 


THE APURE RIVER. 


175 


lent waves had rocked my raw-hide cradle during one 
of the periodical inundations ; for, from earliest child¬ 
hood, I have borne marks left by the teeth of the 
caribe. 

What glorious recollections of the fierce contest 
for liberty did its waters bring to memory ! Not the 
lordly Thames, with its “ woven-winged ” argosies, 
teeming with the merchandise of the earth; the en¬ 
chanting Delaware, framed in romantic cottages and 
orchard groves; nor yet the splendid Hudson, re¬ 
nowned for its floating palaces and legends, but more, 
that on its banks nestles the home of Irving, awakened 
in my breast such emotions of heartfelt admiration as 
did this silent messenger from the Sierra Nevada! 
There, amidst the thunders of the Heavens and rolling 
avalanches, it takes its rise, precipitately descending 
to the plain below through a succession of frightful 
leaps, which shake the primeval forest to its very 
foundations. And so it comes, that its surface is often 
loaded with an immense accumulation of fallen trees 
from the various zones of vegetation it traverses in its 
course. Thus the delicate ferns and other Alpine 
plants are commingled with those of the burning 
climes below, and finally deposited in the wide estu¬ 
ary forming the delta of the Orinoco. When future 
generations shall disentomb them in a petrified state, 
their geologists will no doubt attribute this singular 
agglomeration to wonderful changes in the temper¬ 
ature of the earth. 

The river Apure, properly speaking, is formed by 
the confluence of two other streams, the Sarare and 
Uribante. The former has its rise among the New 


176 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Granadian range of mountains, although a great por^ 
tion of its waters flow now into the Arauca, conse- 
quent on the great deposits of sand and drift wood 
accumulating at its mouth. 

The Uribante, or Upper Apure, may be consid¬ 
ered the main channel of this river, with a total 
length of six hundred and forty miles, five hundred 
and sixty-four of which are navigable for large vessels. 
It takes the name of Apure after its junction with the 
Sarare; but is again subdivided into several ramifi¬ 
cations called canos or creeks, each of which has a 
particular name; among them, La Ebilla, Apurito 
and Apure-Seco are the most important; these again 
unite with the main channel, and form islands of sur¬ 
prising fertility. These islands are invaluable as po- 
treros for the cattle, when other parts of the country 
are parched with the droughts of summer, the steep 
banks and wide channels of the rivers serving as the 
most effectual barriers against their roaming propen¬ 
sities. 

The geographical situation of this river, joined as 
it is to one of the greatest tributaries of the wide 
ocean—the Orinoco—at a point nearly five hundred 
miles from its confluence with the sea, stamps it as 
one of the most important lines of internal navigation 
in the world, and points to the wild region of the 
Llanos as a future emporium of civilization. To it all 
the products and other natural sources of wealth from 
the adjoining provinces will be brought for immediate 
exportation to foreign markets ; as, in addition to the 
vast area of level country traversed by it, this river 
receives the tribute of a hundred navigable streams 


THE APURE RIVER. 177 

descending from the eastern slope of the Andes of 
New Granada and Venezuela. 

The width of the Apure varies considerably ac¬ 
cording to the seasons of rains and droughts; some¬ 
times extending miles beyond its actual channel, hut 
usually not less than one thousand yards broad. 
Humboldt, who measured it at San Fernando in the 
month of May, when it had receded to its lowest ebb, 
found it to be two hundred and thirty-six toises 
broad ; higher up it is considerably wider, gradually 
diminishing as it approaches its great confluent. Al¬ 
luding to this singular phenomenon, mostly caused 
by evaporation and infiltrations through the dry, 
sandy banks of the river, the same eminent traveller 
elucidates some curious facts worthy of notice. He 
says: “ Some idea of the magnitude of these effects 
may be formed, from the fact that we found the heat 
of the dry sands at different hours of the day from 
36° to 52°,* and that of sands covered with three or 
four inches of water 32°. The beds of rivers are 
heated as far as the depth to which the solar rays can 
penetrate, without undergoing too great an expansion 
in their passage through the superincumbent strata 
of water. Besides, filtration extends in a lateral di¬ 
rection far beyond the bed of the river. The shore, 
which appears dry to us, imbibes water as far up as 
to the level of the surface of the riwer. We saw 
water gush out at the distance of fifty toises from the 
shore, every time that the Indians struck their oars 
into the ground. Now, these sands, wet below but 


* Centigrade Thermom.=97" to 126" Fah. 


1T8 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


dry above, and exposed to the solar rays, act like 
sponges, and lose the infiltrated water every instant 
by evaporation. The vapor that is emitted traverses 
the upper stratum of sand strongly heated, and be¬ 
comes sensible to the eye when the air cools towards 
evening. As the beach dries, it draws from the 
river new portions of water; and it may be easily 
conceived that this continual alternation of vaporiza¬ 
tion and lateral absorption must cause an immense 
loss, difficult to submit to exact calculation. The in¬ 
crease of these losses would be in proportion to the 
length of the course of the rivers, if from their source 
to their mouth they were equally surrounded by a 
flat shore ; but these shores being formed by deposits 
from the water, and the water having less velocity in 
proportion as it is more remote from its source, throw¬ 
ing down more sediment in the lower than in the 
upper part of its course, many rivers in hot climates 
undergo a diminution in the quantity of their water 
as they approach their outlets. Mr. Barrow observed 
these curious effects of sands in the southern part of 
Africa, on the banks of the Orange river. They have 
also become the subject of a very important discus¬ 
sion in the various hypotheses that have been formed 
respecting the course of the Niger.” 

At the time we crossed the Apure, it was consid¬ 
erably belowthe average width, as we were then in 
the midst of the dry season; nevertheless, it presented 
a formidable obstacle to our progress. There being 
only one canoe at the pass, the whole morning was 
spent in the transportation of our bulky riding-gear 
and luggage ; and the breeze setting in shortly after 


THE APURE RIYER. 


1T9 


our arrival, the passage of the horses was postponed 
until noon, in consequence of the agitated state of the 
water. It would have been rather hazardous to ex¬ 
pose our valuable steeds to the “chopping sea,” 
which, beating against the animals’ nostrils, is apt to 
stop their respiration, and as they then lose their 
steadiness in swimming, are rendered liable to be 
drowned. 

We were met on the opposite bank of the river 
by a committee of gentlemen in their shirt sleeves, 
like ourselves, commissioned by the inhabitants of 
Apurito to tender our Leader the hospitalities of their 
village. Prominent among them was the general 
overseer of his estate, Commandant Pavago, a tough, 
wiry, and weather-beaten individual, whose nose 
Nature had made of an unjustifiable length, and who 
discoursed in a language peculiar to himself. Indeed, 
it required one to be well versed in the jargon of the 
Llanos to understand his dissertations upon matters 
and things in general; for he pretended to be a con¬ 
noisseur in every thing, except languages; the English, 
especially, was peculiarly distasteful to his ears, and 
whenever he heard us conversing in that tongue, he 
declared in his patois, that it reminded him of a pack 
of horses neighing to each other. Notwithstanding 
his uncouth manner and appearance, our overseer 
was a very shrewd fellow, and quite au fait in all 
matters appertaining to cattle farms. 

As for the village or port of Apurito, it was a 
mere assemblage of mud-plastered cottages, thatched, 
like all houses in that region, with palm leaves. 
Some of them had doors and windows of planed 


180 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


boards; but the greater part were free to whoever 
and whatever chose to walk or crawl into them ; no 
church, no school-house, no building devoted to pub¬ 
lic meetings of any sort. The Alcalde, that most im¬ 
portant functionary in small Spanish communities, 
held his audiences in the narrow corridor of his hut, 
while the sola was devoted to the all-absorbing game 
of monte. Once a year the Padre, next in importance 
to his Honor the Alcalde, paid a visit to the village, 
when all the boys and girls who had not been bap¬ 
tized were brought before him at his lodgings, where 
the ceremony was performed in a somewhat informal 
manner, and without special regard being paid to the 
strict injunctions of the Church. There were a few 
storehouses scattered along the banks of the river, 
where all business transactions were carried on. 
These were principally in hides, which are given in 
exchange for the few articles of barter brought from 
the Orinoco. Hides, in fact, are the bank notes of 
the Llanos; and although rather voluminous and 
uncleanly, they change hands as readily as any 
“ paper ” that was ever in “ the market.” These are 
taken to Ciudad Bolivar, formerly Angostura, in 
bongos and one-mast sailing vessels called lanchas , 
which return laden with salt, knives, blankets, and 
printed calicoes, articles of prime necessity among the 
inhabitants. Other ports along the Apure, such as 
Nutrias and San Fernando, carry on a very extensive 
trade in these goods. The first-named town adds 
largely to her exports, bringing in the agricultural 
products of the adjoining province of Barinas. These 
are coffee, cacao, indigo, and tobacco ; the last being 


THE APURE RIVER. 181 

highly prized in Germany for meerschaums, and al¬ 
ways obtaining a ready sale at Bolivar. 

The course of the Apure being nearly in a straight 
line from west to east, the trade winds blowing across 
the plains in the summer season play a very impor¬ 
tant part in propelling, even against the current, the 
heaviest craft sailing up the river. During the rainy 
season, the westerly winds combine with the current 
of the stream in expediting the progress of vessels. 
Of late, several steamboats have been added to' 
those already engaged in this traffic ; and I am told 
are doing a very profitable business. God speed 
them! 

“ During the time of great floods,” writes Hum¬ 
boldt, “ the inhabitants of these countries, to avoid the 
force of the currents, and the danger arising from the 
trunks of trees which these currents bring down, in¬ 
stead of ascending the beds of rivers in their boats, 
cross the savannas. To go from San Fernando to the 
villages of San Juan de Payara, San Rafael de Ata- 
maica, or San Francisco de Capanaparo, they direct 
their course due south, as if they were crossing a 
single river of twenty leagues broad. The junctions 
of the Guarico, the Apure, the Cabullare, and the 
Arauca with the Orinoco, form, at a hundred and 
sixty leagues from the coast of Guiana, a kind of in¬ 
terior delta, of which hydrography furnishes few ex¬ 
amples in the Old World. According to the height 
of the mercury in the barometer, the waters of the 
Apure have only a fall of thirty-four toises from San 
Fernando to the sea. The fall from the mouths of 


182 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


the Osage and the Missouri to the bar of the Missis¬ 
sippi is not more considerable. The savannas of 
Lower Louisiana everywhere remind us of the sa¬ 
vannas of the Lower Orinoco .”—Travels to the Equi- 
noxial Regions. 


CHAPTER X. 


SAVANNAS OF APURE. 

After a thorough examination of animals and 
baggage, to see that all was as it ought to be, we left 
the uninteresting village of Apurito for our cattle- 
estate of San Pablo de Apure, a few miles further 
south. As we passed the last house fronting the 
river, Mr. Thomas descried a jaguar-skin, which the 
owner of the hut had spread to dry upon the fence. 
Wishing to examine it more closely, he spurred his 
mule ahead and was in the act of seizing the skin, 
when the animal, whose view of it had until then been 
obstructed by the other beasts, coming unexpectedly 
into close proximity with the—to him—fearful object, 
drew back in terror, snorting, kicking, and plunging 
so violently as to capsize the unlucky artist upon the 
sandy beach. The abhorrence with which mules re¬ 
gard the South American tiger, is one of the most 
curious phenomena of animal instinct with which I 
am acquainted ; not only do they manifest it at sight 


184 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of the creature, but also by their scent, while the 
animal is still a long distance off, and yet, in most 
cases, they have never seen a tiger, as was the case in 
the present instance, this mule having been reared in 
the potreros of San Pablo de Paya, wdiere tigers are 
rarely, if ever, met with. 

After a ride of a few hours through alternate 
glades of gigantic mimosas and verdant savannas, we 
reached San Pablo before night had cast her gloom 
over those solemn wilds. The house was neat and 
well located, commanding an extended view of the 
country and innumerable herds of cattle grazing in the 
distance. There were, besides, a large caney or bar- 
racoon for the accommodation of the men and their 
chattels, and a detached hut in which the culinary 
functions of the establishment were to be performed. 

The appellation of San Pablo, conferred on this 
farm also—although the owner possessed already 
another of the same name—made me suspect that 
snakes were not uncommon in that country, the reality 
of which fact I ascertained the first time that I strolled 
any considerable distance from the house. In a coun¬ 
try where saints are supposed to exert an unbounded 
influence over all human affairs, it is not unusual to 
give to houses and localities, threatened with some 
special calamity, the name of the saint who is consid¬ 
ered the patron or defender from that particular evil: 
thus places which are frequently visited by thunder¬ 
storms, are called after Santa Barbara ; those infested 
with snakes, receive the name of San Pablo, &c., &c. 

Although this farm formed part of the demesne we 
came to inspect, w r e did not remain there longer than 


SAVANNAS OF APURE. 185 

was absolutely necessary to investigate into its general 
condition. 

When the order was given to remove to El Frio— 
another farm further westward—we gladly saddled 
horses and started off at a brisk pace over those fresh 
and beautiful prairies which, with their perpetual 
grassy carpet, caused us to feel as if we were coming 
into a land of promise and contentment, instead of one 
of toil and hardship. Indeed, every thing denoted 
that we were now entering on far different scenes from 
those we had left across the river. It seemed a ter¬ 
restrial paradise, where a beneficent Providence had 
congregated every animal most needed by man. Now 
it was the slender forms of deer in herds bounding 
swiftly over the greensward; now the gristly wild 
hogs and capyvaras making hastily for the nearest 
swamp to avoid the eager chase of our men. Occa¬ 
sionally might be seen a redoubtable wild bull, retir¬ 
ing sulkily and slowly at the head of his shaggy troop, 
as if wishing to dispute our right to enter his domain. 
Yegetation, however, seemed to flourish here less than 
in other places we had visited, as, excepting a few 
scattered palms of a new variety, and some straggling 
Matas—which, from the mirage continually before 
us, appeared like fairy groves set in clearest water— 
nothing but the fine and level lawn met fhe eye for 
many miles. 

Unlike the higher plains, where only a coarse 
herbage predominates, the savannas of Apure are 
characterized by a luxuriant growth of various grasses, 
which, like those of the Portuguesa, preserve a uni¬ 
form verdure throughout the year. These grasses— 


186 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


some of which are as soft and pliable as silk—are 
most important in the economy of cattle-breeding in 
the savannas watered by the Apnre and its tribu¬ 
taries. The prodigious increase of animals in these 
plains is mainly owing to the superiority of the pas¬ 
tures over those of the upper regions of the Llanos, 
from whence the farmer is compelled to migrate with 
his stock every summer. 

I noticed in Apure three varieties of grass, which 
in richness of flavor and nutritious qualities can hardly 
be surpassed by any other fodder plants of the tem¬ 
perate zones. In the early part of the rainy season, 
the granadilla—a grass reaching to about four feet in 
height, with tender succulent blades and panicles of 
seed not unlike some varieties of broomcorn—starts 
with the earliest showers of spring. It grows with 
great rapidity, and is greedily sought by all rumi¬ 
nants ; but being an annual, soon disappears, leaving 
no vestige of its existence. In the alluvial bottom¬ 
lands subject to the periodical inundation, two other 
grasses, no less esteemed for their nutriment, have an 
uninterrupted growth and luxuriance which the hot¬ 
test season cannot blast; these are the carretera , 
named from the beautiful prairie-goose that feeds on 
it, and the lambedora , so termed on account of its 
softness, animals feeding on it appearing to lick rather 
than masticate it. Cattle and horses thrive oil it very 
perceptibly, and even calves only a fortnight old, may 
be left to shift for themselves amidst those nutritious 
pastures. 

Ester os is the name by which these perennial mead¬ 
ows are there designated. They have moreover the 














































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































SAVANNAS OF APURE. 


187 


advantage of retaining water enough throughout the 
year to make them the resort of all kinds of quadru¬ 
peds and of every fowl whom “ Nature has taught to 
dip the wing in water,” the former to allay their 
thirst and feast on the fine grass, and the latter for 
the purpose of raising their young in the vicinity of 
ponds well stocked with fish of all varieties. 

No description can convey a just idea of the ap¬ 
pearance presented by these lagoons, crowded with 
almost every variety of animal. The birds in particu¬ 
lar—most of which belong to the extensive family of 
cranes—seem to have migrated there from all quarters 
of the globe. These fluttering communities of aquatic 
birds are known in the country under the appropriate 
name of garzeros , from the many garzas —herons— 
predominating in them. The immense number of 
these may be conceived from the fact that their colo¬ 
nies sometimes embrace several miles in extent. I 
noticed there also various kinds of cranes— garzones — 
one of them, called the soldier, from its erect bearing 
and martial air—is over five feet in height, with a 
bill fully a foot long. The garzas were of various 
sizes and colors, some snow-white, some a delicate 
blue, others gray or pink, and many of a brilliant 
scarlet. Although cranes and herons are species very 
nearly allied, yet they verify the old saying, “ birds 
of a feather flock together,” for each keeps quite dis¬ 
tinct from the other. They generally select the 
spreading top of a low tree— caujaro —growing in 
vast quantities near the water, in which to build their 
nests ; these are of dry sticks very ingeniously inter¬ 
woven among the branches. Well-beaten tracks are 


188 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES* 


made under the bushes by the tramp of many sus¬ 
picious characters of the feline tribe, who make these 
feathered colonies their favorite resort, where they 
improve every opportunity of appropriating any 
young birds that may chance to fall from the nests. 

As we rode past several ponds, covered with a 
kind of water-lily, whose flowers are of a dark purple 
color, myriads of ducks, of the small species called 
guiriries , rose in the air, actually for the moment ob¬ 
scuring the sun. They uttered a shrill note, clearly 
repeating the sound from which they are named, so 
that the hunter easily discovers their whereabout. 
There were, besides, great numbers of a larger species 
of duck—the pato real , or royal duck—so named, I 
presume, from a graceful tuft of black feathers with 
which it is crowned. Here and there a brace of 
carreteros soared over head, uttering their peculiar 
rolling notes ; the hoarse quacking of the male bird, 
followed by the shrill cries of the female, make perfect 
the before-mentioned resemblance to the rumbling of 
cartwheels. 

During the moulting season, the people in the 
neighborhood of these lagoons resort to them from 
time to time, and drive without difficulty towards the 
farm-house as many of these ducks as they may desire. 
I was assured by several reliable individuals that not 
far from San Fablo there is a lagoon on the borders 
of -which a regiment of cavalry once encamped, and 
lived during a fortnight exclusively on these birds, 
wdthout any apparent diminution of their numbers. 

This prodigious exuberance of animal life has 
justly entitled the Apure to the reputation of being 


SAVANNAS OF APURE. 


189 


a land of plenty ; but, alas, it is also a land of death! 
as, from the bottom of these extensive marshes mias¬ 
mas of a pestilential nature are continually arising, 
which, at certain seasons of. the year, render this fine 
country almost uninhabitable for man. They are 
also the abode of those enormous water-snakes or ana¬ 
condas, known in the country under the name of 
culebras de agua , in contradistinction to the boa con¬ 
strictor or tragarvenodo.) so termed on account of the 
ease with which it gorges itself with a whole deer at 
once. Both of these snakes are also remarkable for the 
strength wdiich enables them to crush their victims in 
the coils of their huge muscular bodies ; but the ana¬ 
conda is by far the more voracious and bold of the 
two, attacking not only inferior animals, such as 
deer, capyvaras, and young calves, but even that pride 
of the herd, the padrote , cannot always escape the 
deadly embrace. Woe to the unsuspecting colt or 
heifer, who, panting with thirst and heat, should in¬ 
cautiously plunge into one of these modern Stygian 
lakes, for the coil of the monster will in an instant be 
around it, followed by a fearful cracking of its bones. 
This accomplished, the snake proceeds to cover the 
whole mangled body with a slimy secretion from his 
mouth which assists him in the process of deglutition. 
Should it be a stag—the head of which presents the 
formidable obstacle of its huge antlers—the snake 
commences by swallowing first the hind quarters, 
trusting to time and the natural process of decay for 
the head to drop off. In this plight the anaconda is 
often found, looking like an immense log, stretched out 
in the soft mud of lagoons, whence they are then easily 


190 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


dragged by means of a lazo, tied to the tail of a horse. 
On examining the mouth of one of these snakes, it 
will be found that the jaws are furnished with a row 
of sharp and crooked teeth, bent inward like tenter 
hooks; with these he seizes his prey, and holds it 
securely until the victim, unable to struggle longer, 
drops exhausted. What appears most extraordinary 
in these unequal contests, is the tenacity with which 
the snake adheres to the soft mud of the lagoon, there 
being neither rock nor stump to which he can secure 
himself. Nor will the efforts of a large bull, no mat¬ 
ter how powerful, be sufficient to drag the snake one 
inch out of his element, unless he is first cut asunder. 
In darting upon a quadruped, the anaconda inva¬ 
riably aims at its snout, the animal seldom escaping 
when once the terrible fangs have been buried in its 
flesh. It is not an unusual thing, however, for a bull 
to cut a sri&ke asunder in his violent struggles ; then 
the shaggy victor may be seen proudly marching at 
the head of his troop with this unsightly trophy hang¬ 
ing from his nose. The toughness of the anaconda’s 
skin makes it eagerly sought after by the inhabitants 
for straps and various other objects susceptible of 
injury from friction, as they outwear those made from 
any other material. The fat is also much esteemed 
for burning, and as a lubricator for the bones and 
teridons of persons afflicted with rheumatism, or rigid¬ 
ity of limb. This oil is perfectly clear and transpa¬ 
rent, without any disagreeable odor, and is readily ab¬ 
sorbed into the system by simply rubbing it on the 
skin. 

Shortly after leaving San Pablo, we had a spirited 


SAVANNAS OF APURE. 


191 


chase after a herd of wild pigs. There were upwards 
of twenty browsing on the borders of a pond, and in an 
instant the whole plain—in such repose a few moments 
before—resounded with the cries and clatter of our 
horsemen in eager pursuit of this delicious game of 
the Llanos. Many of the men being provided with 
lances, they had no difficulty in despatching most of 
those whose fate threw them in the way of the re¬ 
morseless cavaliers. But an old lerraco or boar, 
which seemed to be the sultan of the grisly commu¬ 
nity, harassed by the combined attacks of several 
horsemen, suddenly whirled round and made a gallant 
stand, determined, as it appeared, not to give up 
without a fierce resistance. At first it w T as supposed 
that three or four men would be sufficient to bring 
him down, and that number were accordingly sent 
after him ; but finding the engagement protracted, 
several others, including myself, went to their assist¬ 
ance. On reaching the spot a fearful spectacle was 
presented to us. The infuriated animal, his eyes 
shooting fire, and fiercely grinding his tusks, stood at 
bay a short distance from his aggressors, his mouth 
covered with a bloody froth, while one of the men lay 
bleeding profusely from a wound on the thigh inflicted 
by the sharp tusks of the boar. We learned that 
Cipriano, the wounded hunter’s name, perceiving that 
the lances of his companions only succeeded in irritat¬ 
ing the boar, very foolishly leaped from his saddle, 
and drawing his sword, deliberately attacked him 
without even taking the precaution of covering his 
movements with the sheepskin from his saddle, as is 
practised in contests with wild bulls. The man 


192 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


boasted with reason of being the most skilful matador 
in all the Apure ; but in this case he did not reckon 
on the tough hide of his opponent; for, at the first 
rush of the boar upon him, and in spite of the steadi¬ 
ness with which he aimed the stroke, the well-tem¬ 
pered steel bent like a reed the moment it encountered 
the shoulder of the boar, leaving Cipriano completely 
at the mercy of the enraged brute. The consequence, 
as I have already stated, was a severe gash, almost 
laying bare the femoral bone of the unfortunate 
matador. The tusks of the wild boar, especially those 
of the lower jaw, are so long and sharp, that the ani¬ 
mal makes use of them as a bull does of his horns. 
The upper ones rest directly upon the lower, and his 
constant grinding of them, especially when he is en¬ 
raged, soon wears the points into a broad and sharp 
edge. United, these tusks form a perfect circle five 
or six inches in diameter. The services of our surgeon, 
Dr. Gallegos, were immediately called into requisition, 
who dressed the wound, while the companions of the 
suffering hunter endeavored to avenge him. They 
rained a shower of lances upon the body of the en¬ 
raged beast, but, apparently, with. no better effect; 
for, with one powerful stroke of his tusks, he broke in 
two the shaft of some and carried away the head of 
others. Doubtless we should have succeeded in fin¬ 
ishing him after a time; but the helpless condition 
of our companion requiring especial care, we placed 
him on his saddle, for want of better conveyance, and, 
leaving the boar conqueror, proceeded on our journey. 

Having killed more animals than we could con¬ 
veniently carry, we selected two fat sows for our 


SAVANNAS OP APITRE. 


193 


breakfast, and left the remainder to the flock of 
turkey-buzzards which, like a troop of hungry scav¬ 
engers, followed our line of march across the prairies. 

I may observe here that the wild boar of the 
Llanos is the common hog run wild in consequence 
of the little or no care bestowed upon their breeding 
in the cattle-farms, and as they find in these swamps 
all the elements they require for their development, 
viz., roots of various kinds, sweet herbs, eels, snakes, 
and mire ad libitum , their propagation is greatly in¬ 
creased. Thus the number of pigs in these savannas is 
almost incredible—in the lands of El Frio alone being 
estimated at forty thousand—and a just idea may be 
formed of their ravages from the fact that, for miles 
around, those fine prairies have been completely 
ploughed up by them, rendering the ground exceed¬ 
ingly dangerous for horses, and almost useless for 
cattle-breeding, by destroying the fine pastures which 
are invariably replaced by a crop of worthless weeds. 

Wild hogs, nevertheless, sometimes render good 
service by destroying the snakes—for which they seem 
to have a particular penchant—especially that little 
scourge of the savannas of Apure, the dreaded mata- 
cahallo. 

The tails of these hogs being especially long, 
and, as usual, twisted, they swing them round con¬ 
tinually when running—a peculiarity which did 
not escape a benighted son of Africa, who was being 
trained at a cattle-farm to the business of the Llanos, 
and which occasioned quite a ludicrous scene at one 
of these hunts. He had become already expert in the 
use of the lazo, and was one day taken to the savanna 
9 


194 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

by the overseer for the purpose of procuring an ox for 
slaughter, when they fell in with a fine hog, which at 
once changed their plans, and they immediately gave 
him chase. None of the men had lazos, except the 
negro, and he was therefore commanded to follow 
and secure the game; but although he rode a very 
swift horse, and was often within range of the lazo, he 
was observed each time to slacken his pace without 

any apparent cause. “ Now then,.son of 

.thy mother,” the Llanero vociferated, “let 

go the lazo, or we will roast thee alive in his stead,” 
shouting at him also many other no less characteristic 
expressions. But Sambo, waving the lazo over his 
head in order to keep the noose open, would again 
stop short of his mark, until the pig, who probably 
knew by this time that he was wanted, straining every 
nerve to reach a swamp hard by, succeeded at last in 
gaining a clump of wild plantains that bordered the 
estero. Here the major-domo, losing his small rem¬ 
nant of patience, quickly rode up to him, and dis¬ 
charging sundry lashes with his chaparro upon the 
sooty skin of his apprentice, asked him, in a thunder¬ 
ing voice: “ How now, my master , why did ye let the 
fellow go without a single effort on thy part to secure 
him ? Have not I taught thee well enough how to 
handle a lazo, thou sooty imp ? ” “ Oh ! yessa, mas- 

sa,” quoth the darkey; “ but, look yer, massa, when 
me wisher to lazo pig, him wisher to lazo me nei¬ 
ther ; ” imitating, at the same time, with his arm the 
swinging of the pig’s tail. 

Very beautiful was the appearance of the many 
herds, each headed by its padrote , on all sides dispers- 




SAVANNAS OF APURE. 


195 


ing at our approach.- The bulls are generally of a 
grave and quiet disposition when collected in herds, 
and rather avoid the approach of man unless provoked 
to self-defence, when they become very ferocious. 
Each troop is under the control of the most powerful 
bull in the drove, a position which is only attained by 
dint of strength and courage; as not only has he to 
defend his troop from the attacks of the common ene¬ 
my, but to maintain his supremacy against rival ena- 
morados. Thus the padrote , or big father, as he is 
appropriately styled, can show many scars upon his 
tough hide, received in these fierce combats. If a lion 
or jaguar approach during the night, the padrote im¬ 
mediately takes all his measures for the defence of his 
post. His first care is to compel the herd into a com¬ 
pact mass, and then advances to engage the enemy in 
single combat, from which he rarely fails to come off 
victorious. In the mean time the herd, within the 
limited space into which they have been congregated, 
with heads lowered towards the enemy, prepare to 
repulse the intruder and defend their young by a for¬ 
midable array of horns. 

Man is the only antagonist whose superiority the 
padrote will acknowledge ; but even this is not with¬ 
out an obstinate resistance whenever he has an opportu¬ 
nity. Hor will he retire in a hurry from his pursuers, 
but facing about from time to time, often succeeds in 
thwarting their intentions and securing an honorable 
retreat. 

When the sun is high in the meridian, troops of 
these noble animals may be seen slowly advancing 
towards the nearest mata , seeking to avoid the exces- 


196 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


sive heat of the day and to enjoy their siesta in cool 
retirement. Here they amuse themselves sometimes 
in watching over their harems, sometimes in making 
their toilet, which is rubbing the point of their horns 
against the hard trunk of a palm tree, or any other 
convenient object, until they become sharp as awls. 
Woe! then, to the imprudent traveller who, over¬ 
powered by the heat, seeks refuge in one of those 
groves, thus intruding upon the sanctuary of his bull- 
ship’s seraglio. Should he succeed in escaping safe 
and sound, his horse is certain of being severely chas¬ 
tised for his master’s indiscretion. 

An adventurous Briton, who once penetrated into 
one of those haunts sacred to Taurus, came very 
near losing his life in consequence. He fortunately 
escaped with only a few scratches and contusions ; but 
his clothes were torn from his body by the horns and 
hoofs of the bull. It chanced in this wise : The inten¬ 
sity of the sun’s rays had compelled the traveller and 
his companion—a shrewd old Llanero, who acted as 
guide—to seek shelter under a solitary grove. On a 
closer acquaintance they judged it to be the retreat 
of a wild bull, from the deep scars observable on the 
bark of the trees, evidently caused by some animal’s 
horns. They were not mistaken, for they soon dis¬ 
covered at a short distance, quietly grazing, the prob¬ 
able owner of the rural retreat. Knowing from ex¬ 
perience that this would be a very unsafe spot for their 
siesta, the Llanero advised that they should move off 
at once, rather than be ejected thence, as would surely 
be the case if they remained much longer. But John 
Bull, with characteristic pride, and trusting entirely 


SAVANNAS OF APURE. 


19T 


to his fine brace of pistols, laughed at the idea of giv¬ 
ing up his comfortable quarters, without at least a 
struggle for their possession. Ordering the man to 
sling his hammock, he carefully examined his pistols, 
after which he retired to his aerial couch. The Llanero 
shook his head and very wisely omitted unsaddling 
the horses, contenting himself with merely unfastening 
the straps. Presently the bull began to advance in 
the direction of the mata , which the phlegmatic Eng¬ 
lishman no sooner perceived, than quitting his ham¬ 
mock, he seized his pistols and went to the encounter. 
The Llanero crossed himself, and taking the horses 
aside, proceeded to secure the saddles and to tie the 
lazo to the tail of his own steed. In the mean time 
the bull continued leisurely advancing, apparently 
without much noticing his uninvited guests; occasion¬ 
ally, however, uttering deep bellowings expressive of 
his displeasure. Bang ! bang ! went the two pistols ; 
but before the smoke had cleared, the Llanero beheld 
his companion stretched upon the ground and fiercely 
trampled under the feet of the infuriated animal. 
Swift as thought, the Llanero sprang into the saddle, 
and spreading his lazo, whirled it two or three times 
above his head; then let it fall around the horns of 
the bull at the very instant he was about to transfix 
the prostrate traveller. Thus providentially prevent¬ 
ed from doing further injury, he was easily hamstrung 
and finally despatched by the captors. That the Eng¬ 
lishman escaped being instantly killed, can only be 
accounted for by the fact that a bull often misses-his 
aim from the very fury of his attack. 


CHAPTER XL 


EL FRIO. 

On arriving at El Frio, we were agreeably sur¬ 
prised at finding more spacious accommodations than 
we had anticipated. The house, although thatched 
like all the rest with palm leaves, was spacious and 
well built of pajareque ; that is, the framework of the 
walls was of strong posts of timber, well lathed and 
plastered over with soft mud mixed with straw. In 
addition to a large sola or reception room, it con¬ 
tained three or four sleeping apartments; but these 
last were so fall of bats, that it was impossible to pass 
a comfortable night in them, especially on account of 
the disagreeable odor proceeding from these disgust- 
ing creatures, while the incessant bird-like chirping 
sound which they made overhead, completely mur¬ 
dered our first night’s sleep. "We tried in vain to 
smoke them out by means of .dried cow dung. They 
absented themselves during a portion of the day, but 
were sure to return at dusk, bringing with them an 
abundant supply of wild berries for their supper, 
some of which they were constantly dropping in our 




EL FRIO. 


199 


hammocks, finally compelling us to seek refuge in the 
open air of the corridors and courtyard. 

Apart from the mansion stood a row of smaller 
structures containing the kitchen and storerooms of 
the farm, which being useless to us, we abandoned to 
the bats and turkey-buzzards. Our cooking, as usual, 
was left to our skilful chef Monico and his satellites, 
who preferred the sans fa^on style of the camp to 
confining themselves in the narrow range of a kitchen. 

That which chiefly attracted my attention at this 
farm was the substantial nature of the fence encom¬ 
passing the buildings, capable of resisting not only 
the sudden rush of a herd of cattle, for which purpose 
it was intended, but also a heavy cannonade, in case 
of need. It was constructed of enormous blocks of 
trees, almost impervious to steel or fire, driven into 
the ground, each as close to the other as possible, and 
neatly trimmed at top so as to present an even sur¬ 
face. I was unable to comprehend by what means 
those monster rails could have been removed from the 
forest. This, I afterwards ascertained, had been ac¬ 
complished during the inundation of the savannas, 
when they are easily transported in balsas or rafts 
made of lighter wood. The trees yielding this ever¬ 
lasting timber are two distinct species of acacias, 
known in the country under the euphonious names 
of Angelino and Acapro , either of which will turn 
the edge of the best tempered steel if great care is not 
used. I was shown here two uprights to the princi¬ 
pal gate of- the majada or great enclosure for cattle, 
nearly a hundred years old, still in perfect preserva- 


200 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


tion, although standing in soil subject to alternate in¬ 
undations and parching heats. 

The majada, also formed of strong posts, was 
sufficiently spacious to contain three thousand an¬ 
imals, with compartments for the accommodation of 
the herds during the various operations of cattle 
farms. Although there was abundant vegetable 
material for the comfort or security of the inmates, I 
observed here, as everywhere, a total want of shade 
trees around the houses. The Llaneros, although 
strongly addicted to the “ sweets of savage life,” are 
decidedly opposed to trees in the immediate neighbor¬ 
hood of their dwellings. Trees, say they, attract the 
thunderbolt of heaven and the wild beasts of the field, 
being besides the natural refuge of snakes and mos¬ 
quitoes during the great floods. This lack of shade 
was the more regretted by us as we were then in the 
midst of the summer solstice, when the sun pours its 
vertical rays upon the dry* soil, while each day be¬ 
tween the hours of ten and eleven, a strong breeze 
arose, sweeping over the exposed plain, and bringing 
with it showers of sand ; this lodged in our mouths, 
eyes and ears, and mingled with the food, thus render¬ 
ing it unpalatable even to our carnivorous appetites. 
And yet, but a short distance from the house bloomed 
an inviting grove, two or three miles in circumfer¬ 
ence ; this a man of taste could have readily converted 
into a delightful abode, especially as in the rainy season 
the inundation of the surrounding savannas w r ould 
permit the approach of vessels from the Orinoco, by 
which the owner could supply hitnself with all the 
comforts of civilized life. This charming spot was 


EL FRIO. 


201 


further embellished by a small lake, where we daily 
watered our horses, though not without some risk to 
life and limb on account of the babas and caimans 
swarming in its depths. Even the shallower portions 
were so filled with sting-rays, caribes, and other 
aquatic vermin, as to render bathing in it extremely 
hazardous. Our ablutions, therefore, were limited to 
the occasional scrubbing of our dusty and heated 
bodies with wet towels. The babas , although still 
more repulsive in appearance than their relative of 
the long snout—the crocodile—are considered a bonne 
bouche, especially the tail, the flesh of which is said 
to rival chicken in its flavor. From this uninviting 
fount of the desert, necessity compelled us to replenish 
our gourds each afternoon, that the particles of sand 
and clay with which it was filled might have time to 
settle during the night. 

The summer breezes, although disagreeable in 
many respects, are yet most necessary, carrying off 
noxious exhalations arising from the marshy deposits 
which remain in those low grounds long after the 
waters have subsided ; otherwise those regions would 
be uninhabitable. The Apure is especially salubrious 
in the dry season, and were it not for their impru¬ 
dences, the inhabitants would enjoy perfect health 
during at least seven months of the year. But these 
people, careless of consequences, and trusting to their 
iron constitutions, are not deterred, while in the ex¬ 
citement of a long chase, from plunging into one of 
these pestiferous marshes after the object of their pur¬ 
suit. The result is a severe reaction of the system, 
followed by violent spasms, fevers, or that most horrid 


202 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of diseases, elephantiasis or mal de San lazaro , so 
prevalent in the hot regions of tropical America. 
Add to this recklessness the great want of medical 
resources in the country, and the consequent wretch¬ 
edness and misery can be readily imagined. Never¬ 
theless, the inhabitants seem to care so little about 
these endemic vicissitudes, that in time one accustoms 
himself also to view them in the same spirit of fatal¬ 
ism which they attach to every event of their lives. 

I was never weary of admiring the beauty of the 
sky and transparency of the atmosphere at this season. 
Objects three or four miles distant appeared as if 
actually only a few rods from the beholder, a circum¬ 
stance which often misled me when in my rambles 
after game I had to traverse the plain on foot, occa¬ 
sioning frequent disappointments in my reckonings. 

The radiation of heat evolved from the earth at 
night, produced by the perfect clearness of the sky, 
was so great at times as to produce a very sensible 
degree of cold, which rendered the use of blankets 
quite acceptable; hence the name of El Frio given 
to this estate. The evenings, especially, were so raw 
and chilly, that in order to keep warm, we passed a 
great portion of the night in revelry and dancing by 
moonlight, although . not one crinoline graced our 
soirees. But we had excellent dancers of the Zapateo, 
a sort of “ breakdown,” in which most of our men 
exhibited a flexibility of feet and ankles which would 
have done credit to the most accomplished' Ethiopian 
troop. 

Our host no Juan Manuel, as the overseer was 
familiarly styled, had engaged the services of a cele- 


EL FRIO. 


203 


brated player on the bcmdola from Banco Largo, and 
there being no lack of improvisatpri among us, these 
nightly revels were conducted with all the eclat that 
circumstances would permit. Among the bards who 
distinguished themselves most at such times were the 
Negro Quintana, an old Sergeant of the Guard, whose 
constant attendance for many years on his beloved 
Chief and “ Master,” as he styled the General, had- 
endeared him to the latter; and Sarmiento, as the 
other was named, who acted in the capacity of capo- 
ral to the cattle farm of San Pablo. Both of these 
made themselves'famous by the wonderful facility 
with which they improvised on any given subject. 
They occasionally varied the performances by singing 
to their guitars ballads whose burden was invariably 
some adventure arising from the eventful life in the 
pampas. Of these choice morceaux the most popular 
were “ Mambrun,” an imitation of the old French 
song, “ MalbrooJc den fut en guerre ,” and “ Marce- 
lino.” The hero of this last was a renowned bandit, 
who for a long time baffled all efforts to capture him, 
but who finally received his deserts from the hands 
of a traitor, who joined his forays for the purpose of 
betraying him to his enemies. 

Marcelino was a common peon in one of the 
cattle farms bordering the river Matiyure, but being 
of a restless and daring disposition, preferred the 
roving life of a bandit to the more sober occupations 
of the farm. Finding himself pursued by the hand 
of justice, he was compelled for a time to seek refuge 
among the Indians south of the great river Meta, who 
are at this day sole tenants of those immeasurable 


204 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


wilds. His superior acquirements and boldness soon 
gained him the confidence and respect of the savages, 
who finally adopted him for their leader, following 
him in his marauding expeditions against the defence¬ 
less cattle farms this side of the Arauca. Embold¬ 
ened by success, they attacked the wealthy town of 
that name, whence Marcelino carried off a beautiful 
woman, the wife of a respectable farmer of the place, 
who employed every means in his power to recover 
her. All efforts, however, were for a time fruitless, 
owing to the wild nature of the country and the cun¬ 
ning of her captor; but he was finally taken in one 
of his expeditions. The intention had been to send 
him to Achaguas, with which object he was well 
bound and placed under a strong escort; but being 
a great favorite with all classes of Llaneros, who ad¬ 
mire valor in every form, he was finally given in 
charge of the famous Manuel Blanco—a rich land 
owner of the Apure—at the earnest solicitation of the 
latter, who promised to see him safely delivered to 
the authorities. On the way thither, however, Mar¬ 
celino managed to give his bondsman the slip, and 
escaped to his favorite haunts again. All further 
attempts to retake him failing at that time, a bold 
sambo from the upper country volunteered to pene¬ 
trate into the unknown region, intending to decoy 
him and his savage band to a certain cattle farm 
where a strong picket of cavalry would lie in wait. 
Having represented to Marcelino that immense 
wealth in money and jew r els was possessed by the 
owners of the farm, the bandit concluded to come out 
of his fastness and retrieve his former fame by a bold 


EL FRIO. 


205 


dash at the cattle farm of Herradero. On arriving at 
the place, where matters having been arranged as had 
been agreed upon between Maldonado—the betray¬ 
er’s appropriate name—and the officers of justice, Mar- 
celino and his band were surprised. He endeavored 
to escape, but Maldonado spurring his horse toward 
the unsuspecting bandit, pierced him with his sword. 
Without delaying he then pushed on, followed by the 
hateros , to the camp where the unfortunate lady was 
still a captive. They found her surrounded by a train 
of red skin dames of honor, all of whom were after¬ 
ward distributed as servants among, the families of 
their conquerors. 

Nearly all the Indians of that tribe were destroyed 
on this occasion, only a few escaping to the Big 
Forest, where they bewailed among the monkeys and 
jaguars of those solitudes the loss of their favorite 
chieftain. The ballad which commemorates the 
event, commences: 

“ A Marcelino lo mataron 
En el hato de Herradero, 

Y los Indios lo lloraron 
A su capitan vaquero.” 

Marcelino the bold was slain, 

Slain at the farm of Herradero; 

And the Indians lament in vain 

Their loved sportsman, chieftain and hero. 

Maldonado, who at heart was a rogue of the same 
stamp as Marcelino, having tasted of the independent 
roving life of the bandit, found it so congenial that he 
concluded to follow the illustrious example of his 


206 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


former leader and associate ; but wanting in the prin¬ 
cipal traits which had raised the latter to his exalted 
position, was speedily destroyed and almost precisely 
in the same manner which he had devised for the 
overthrow of the renowned Marcelino. Previous to 
this, however, Maldonado, in imitation of his former 
chieftain, and availing himself of the defenceless state 
of the town of Guasdualito, attempted to carry off 
from thence la Villafane, a lady celebrated for her 
beauty. With this intent, he brought to her door a 
horse already saddled for her, and commanded her to 
mount and follow him. This she indignantly refused 
to do ; but finding all entreaties and resistance of no 
avail, she seized some poison from a drawer at hand, 
and with resolution worthy of a Roman matron, 
placed it to her lips, exclaiming, as she did so, that 
she would surely swallow it if he did not instantly 
quit her presence. The threat proved successful; for 
the bandit, awed by her heroism, left her. 

The business of the pampas required us to be up 
at the first peep of dawn. A cup of coffee and milk, 
mixed with ground parched corn—which I would 
recommend to all travellers on long journeys of this 
sort—served us until breakfast time. I amused my¬ 
self during the day sketching in company with my 
friend, Mr. Thomas, while the men made their prep¬ 
arations for a gtand hunt among the cattle of the 
estate. The most important of these arrangements 
was that of manufacturing from hides sufficient lazos 
for the sport. There is a marked difference between 
the skins of bullocks raised in the shady parts of the 


EL FRIO. 


207 


Llanos and those roaming wild over the deserts of the 
Apure. Although the former are much thicker, the 
lazos made from the hides of cattle constantly ex- 
posed to the sun’s rays are infinitely stronger. The 
lazo is easily made. A fresh hide, spread upon the 
ground with the hair downward, is neatly cut into a 
long strap two inches wide. This is twisted into a 
tight thong and stretched out to dry between two 
posts, after which it is well rubbed with fat. When 
thoroughly dried, a loop is made at one end ; through 
this, when required for use, the thong is passed, forming 
the noose or lazo proper, while the other end is firmly 
tied to the horse’s tail, using its long hair for the pur¬ 
pose. In other parts of South America they fasten 
the lazo to a ring in the saddle; but this arrangement, 
besides causing too great strain upon the horse’s back, 
is fraught with danger to the rider in case of a recoil 
from the thong if a break occur. The thorough train¬ 
ing which horses receive in the Llanos is invaluable 
in such cases, as not only does the success of the chase 
depend on the readiness with which he obeys his 
rider, but even after the game is secured with the 
lazo, it is necessary that the horse should range in¬ 
stantly on a line with the struggling victim; but 
unless this is effected, before the strain comes upon 
the lazo, the horse and his rider are inevitably over¬ 
thrown. The hunter, at the moment of using the lazo, 
coils a portion of the thong, which he holds with his 
left hand, and with the rest forms the running noose, 
which is repeatedly whirled around his head to keep 
it open. When within reach of his mark, he aims at 
the animal’s head and throws the noose in such a 


208 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


manner as to cause a rapid uncoiling of the thong in 
his left hand. Some Llaneros are so expert as to 
entangle at the same instant the feet and head of 
the animal, on which he is quickly brought to the 
ground. 

, ¥e were joined at El Frio by another party of 
cattle hunters, under the leadership of an old ac¬ 
quaintance, Colonel Castejon, wddely celebrated in 
the Llanos for great bravery and skill in the pursuits 
of the country. He came to help us in the hunt after 
wild cattle, and to help himself to as many animals 
as he could drive home with his party. We also had 
the honor of a visit from the Governor of the Prov¬ 
ince, Senor Arciniega, a jovial, talkative, and well- 
informed functionary, and the most accomplished 
marksman of the Apure. It was therefore proposed 
to have a grand shooting match in the open field, and 
with this view we all started one morning for a creek 
called Macanillal, about three miles distant, intending 
to use the crocodiles, by far the most difficult animal 
to shoot, as targets. On entering the woody banks 
of the creek, we were agreeably surprised to discover 
on the soft mud evident proofs that we had come in 
the right direction, not only for our anticipated sport 
with the water monsters, but also that we were likely 
to have a brush with even a more formidable antajr- 
onist—the jaguar. Footprints of this splendid an¬ 
imal were so numerous, that we forgot for a time the 
crocodiles and made diligent search for the nobler 
game. We had small success, however, having no 
dogs with us to drive him from the jungle; for, un- 


EL FRIO. 209 

less he has the advantage over his adversaries, the 
jaguar never shows himself in the day-time. 

As we came in sight of the water, I was aston¬ 
ished at seeing its whole surface bubbling as if in a 
state of effervescence, and at finding also on nearer 
inspection that this was occasioned by the blowing 
close to the water’s surface of millions of coporos. 
Other varieties of fish were also so abundant, that we 
shot many near the shore, among them a very fine 
catfish. 

The report of the guns brought to the surface 
numbers of crocodiles, which we prepared to assail 
from the high bank of the creek. To our honorable 
guest, the Governor, was conceded the privilege of 
shooting the first, which he did with great accuracy, 
sending a ball directly through one of the creature’s 
eyes. Still the shot did not kill him instantly, as 
would have been the result with any other animal; 
and he plunged through the creek for a time at a 
furious rate, lashing the water with liis powerful tail, 
and causing great commotion among the finny mul¬ 
titude. The other crocodiles in lieu of being 
alarmed wfith the uproar, were only rendered more 
inquisitive, dashing forward with gleaming eyes and 
tusks, which so fascinated my friend the English 
artist, as rather endangered his safety in his eager¬ 
ness to get a thorough view of the reptiles. Forget¬ 
ting his proximity to the precipice, he approached it 
so nearly as to miss his footing, and would doubtless 
have rolled into one of the open jaws below him, but 
for the prompt assistance of a companion, who caught 
him as lie was in the act of falling. 


210 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


From the same place where the first shot was 
fired, we succeeded in killing or wounding not less 
than twenty crocodiles ; but the banks being high 
and precipitous, we could not secure the carcases. 
One of these, which lay stranded on a sand bank 
across the creek, being characterized by a singular 
hump on his back, which added to his already mon¬ 
strous size, I felt a great desire to examine more 
closely. To accomplish this, it was necessary to ford 
the creek lower down, where I was assured the water 
was sufficiently low to allow of walking over. The 
undertaking was not, however, without considerable 
risk from the numerous sting-rays and caribes. But 
my interest in all pertaining to Nature’s works helped 
me over to the other side, whither I was accompanied 
by Roseliano, a youth attached to my family, famed 
as a dare-devil. With his assistance I dragged the 
crocodile partly out of water, and was examining the 
load which nature had placed upon his back, when 
Roseliand perceived a movement of one of his eyes, 
the other having been shattered by the bullet; we 
supposed he had been by this time quite dead. My 
young companion, who had expressed his suspicions 
that the crocodile was only feigning death, wishing 
to ascertain the truth, proposed stabbing him in the 
armpit with his dagger. Before permitting this, I 
insisted upon securing the jaws by means of a large 
stake which we sharpened at one end and plunged 
into his nostrils, and I then leaned upon it with the 
whole weight of my body. This precaution saved 
my companion, but came very near proving fatal to 
myself, as the instant the crocodile felt the cold steel 


EL FRIO. 


211 


between bis ribs be raised his enormous bead, lifting 
me at least a toot from the ground; but was pre¬ 
vented from injuring me by the stake which he 
caught between his powerful tusks, shattering it to 
splinters, and then retreated to the middle of the 
creek. Ilis triumph was, however, of short dura¬ 
tion ; for, the blood oozing in torrents from his 
wounds, he quickly fell a prey to thousands of 
hungry caribes. 

Sir Robert Schomburgh relates an incident which 
occurred during his ascent of the river Berbice, and 
which further demonstrates the tenacity of life in the 
cayman. “ One was fired at, floating, and the ball 
took off the end of the snout; it received another im¬ 
mediately afterward in the hinder part of the skull 
wdiich appeared to have taken effect; still, the In¬ 
dians were not sparing in their blows, and when there 
was not much likelihood of its possessing a spark of 
life, it was deposited on the bow of one of the corials. 
While the corial was drawn across the rapids, two of 
the Arawaaks got courage and took it up in order to 
lay it in a more convenient place; they had just 
effected this, when at one bound it jumped out into 
the river and disappeared. The Indians looked quite 
stupefied, and never afterward could be persuaded to 
touch a cayman.” 

The creek of Macanillal is also famous for its many 
water-dogs, or perros de agua (Myopotamus coypos) 
and nutrias. The latter is a large species of otter 
with a fine glossy fur. The former resembles a 
beaver very closely, but has a round tail similar to 
that of the opossum. Both animals live in the water, 


212 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


coming out occasionally to sun themselves on the 
sand banks. In a hut near the scene of our last 
crocodile adventure I saw a skin of the water-dog 
which measured five feet in length, exclusive of the 
tail; but although I often made diligent search for 
this singular amphibious animal, I never had an op¬ 
portunity of making his acquaintance. Like the 
otter he is extremely shy, and only the practised eye 
of an Indian can trace him near the surface of the 
water when he rises to breathe. 


CHAPTER XIL 


BIRDS OP ILL OMEN AND CARRION HAWKS. 

The distant bellowing of bulls assembling their 
herds—sure sign that the tiger was prowling near 
them—lulled us pleasantly to'sleep in our hammock- 
beds after the fatigues and labors of the day. Not 
unfrequently we were treated to a serenading chorus 
of araguatos or howling monkeys, and to the hootings 
of the titiriji or tiger-owl of the pampas, whose pecu¬ 
liar cries might be readily mistaken, by an unaccus¬ 
tomed ear, for the angry growl of that spotted bandit 
of the forest—the jaguar. The neighboring woods 
were also the haunts of several other species of owls 
and goat-suckers, whose dreary notes wake mournful 
echoes by night and fill superstitious imaginations 
with fearful and foreboding visions. 

The tiger-owl, which may be said to rank among 
the feathered tribe as does the jaguar or American 
tiger among beasts, is nearly the size of a domestic 
turkey. Like his powerful prototype, he is spotted 
with black, and seldom makes himself heard except- 


214 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


ing at niglit, when calling on his mate ; or during his 
nocturnal expeditions in the neighborhood of the 
farmyard. He is then, not only a terror to the de¬ 
fenceless brood, but also to the younger inmates of 
the house, who look upon him with a kind of super¬ 
stitious awe, on w T hich account he sometimes escapes 
punishment. 

Less imposing in size than the preceding—although 
more terrifying in their way—are the ya-acdbo and the 
pavita —two other species of owl considered harbin¬ 
gers of calamity or death, when heard fluttering 
around a house. The first portends an approaching 
death among the inmates, and is therefore looked 
upon with dread even by men who would not flinch 
at the sight of the most formidable bull or jaguar. 
Yet that appalling cry,* ya acabo ! ya acdbo !—it is 
finished ! it is finished !—seems so fraught with evil 
mystery, that few hear .it unmoved. The only expe¬ 
dient resorted to, in such cases, is to form a cross with 
hot ashes in front of the house, which, it is believed, 
will drive away this ill-omened messenger. Th q pavita 
—although not larger than a turtle-dove, is also con¬ 
sidered pajaro de mal aguero —a bird of ill-omen— 
being no less—they say—than the departed spirit of 
some good-natured relative come to warn his kindred 
against approaching calamity. In these cases, as it is 
believed that nothing is so acceptable to the poor soul 
as a few Pater Nosters and Ave Marias, they usually 
try to disembarrass themselves of the unwelcome 
visitor by reciting aloud several of these prayers, after 
crossing themselves twice with much devotion. When¬ 
ever this owl’s dreaded cry is heard, it is certain to 


BIRDS OF ILL OMEN AND CARRION HAWKS. 215 

he followed by a scene of great confusion and dismay: 
the children run to the women and hide behind their 
skirts; the women seek protection from the men; 
while these content themselves with muttering the 
holy invocation Ave Maria JPurisima ! which is ever 
with them the favorite talisman against danger. 

Great varieties of goat-suckers—not unlike huge 
butterflies fluttering in the light evening breeze—also 
make their appearance at sundown, when may be 
heard their singularly harsh notes closely resembling 
human articulations. 

“ The harmless, unoffending goat-sucker, from the 
time of Aristotle down to the present day ”—says 
Waterton in his u Wanderings ”—“ has been in dis¬ 
grace with man. Father has handed down to son, 
and author to author, that this nocturnal thief subsists 
by milking the flocks. Poor injured little bird of 
night! how sadly hast thou suffered, and how foul a 
stain has inattention to facts put upon thy character! 
Thou hast never robbed man of any part of his prop¬ 
erty, nor deprived the kid of a drop of milk.” 

“ When the moon shines bright, you may have a 
fair opportunity of examining the goat-sucker. You 
will see it close by the cows, goats, and sheep, jump¬ 
ing up every now and then, under their bellies. Ap¬ 
proach a little nearer—he is not shy, ‘he fears no 
danger for he knows no sin.’ See how the nocturnal 
flies are tormenting the herd, and with what dexter¬ 
ity he springs up and catches them as fast as they 
alight on the belly, legs and udder of the animals. 
Observe how quiet they stand, and how sensible they 
seem of his good offices, for they neither strike at him, 


216 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


nor hit him with their tails, nor tread on him, nor try 
to drive him away as an uncivil intruder. Were you 
to dissect him and inspect his stomach, you would 
find no milk there. It is full of the flies which have 
been annoying the herd. 

“ The prettily mottled plumage of the goat-sucker, 
like that of the owl, wants the lustre which is observ¬ 
ed in the feathers of the birds of day. This, at once, 
marks him as a lover of the pale moon’s nightly beams. 
There are nine species here ” (in Demerara). “ The 
largest appears nearly the size of the English wood- 
owl. Its cry is so remarkable, that having once heard 
it, you will never forget it. When night reigns over 
these immeasurable wilds, whilst lying in your ham¬ 
mock, you will hear this goat-sucker lamenting like 
one in deep distress. A stranger would never con¬ 
ceive it to be the cry of a bird. He would say it was 
the departing voice of a midnight murdered victim, 
or the last wailing of Niobe for her poor children, be¬ 
fore she was turned into stone. Suppose yourself in 
hopeless sorrow, begin with a high loud note, and pro¬ 
nounce, 4 ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,’ each note lower 
and lower, till the last is scarcely heard, pausing a 
moment or two betwixt every note, and you will have 
some idea of the moaning of the largest goat-sucker in 
Demerara. 

“ Four other species of the goat-sucker articulate 
some words so distinctly, that they have received their 
names from the sentences they utter, and absolutely 
bewilder the stranger on his arrival at these parts. 
The most common one sits down close by your door, 
and flies and alights three or four yards before you, as 


BIRDS OF ILL OMEN AND CARRION HAWKS.. 217 

you walk along the road, crying, 4 Who are you, who, 
who, who are you ? ’ Another bids you, 4 Work away, 
work, work, work away.’ A third cries mournfully, 
4 Willy, come go, Willy, Willy, Willy come go.’ And 
high up the country a fourth tells you 4 Whip poor 
Will, whip, whip, whip poor Will.’ ” * 

There is a bird, however, among these nocturnal 
serenaders which impresses you with very different 
feelings from those produced by the owl species : this 
is the Gallineta de monte or forest-hen, a most beau¬ 
tiful creature both in color and in shape, and not un¬ 
like a water-hen in general appearance: the eyes 
especially are peculiarly pretty, being of a brilliant 
ruby color and scintillate like fire. These birds sing 
in concert, and their song—a lively chatter—has a 
mystic fascinatioir'T am unable to describe. They 
are also considered delicate eating; but unfortunately 
are very difficult to catch, for even after being shot, 
unless wounded in the leg, they can outstrip the swift¬ 
est hound, although their wings, being very small, 
avail them little. Nature, however, has provided 
them with long yellow legs for the purpose. 

The ponds and lagoons of the savannas are literally 
crowded with other individuals of the feathered tribe, 
whose lively notes and incessant chatterings contribute 
likewise to enliven the night. The most conspicuous 
among them are various species of teal-ducks, such as 
quires and yaguasos , and a long-legged plover— alcar- 
avan. —This last has the peculiarity of uttering a long, 
shrill sound at hourly intervals, thus marking every 

^ * Wanderings in South America. 


218 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


hour of the night after the manner of a clock’s alarum. 
It is easily domesticated in the houses, where it ren¬ 
ders some service, not only by marking time, but also 
by giving warning of the approach of strangers. 

The aruco is another bird of large size, whose 
drum-like notes are often heard in the stillness of 
night. In size and plumage it greatly resembles a 
turkey ; but its flesh is so spongy, that in lifting one 
of these uncouth birds from the ground, it appears like 
a mere bundle of feathers. The wings of the male are 
provided with a pair of sharp spurs, with which, when 
lighting, they greatly injure one another. 

Another feature of the cattle-farm is the great num¬ 
ber of carrion vultures and other birds of prey con¬ 
stantly hovering around the houses and corrals, attract¬ 
ed thither by the carcasses of dead animals. The most 
conspicuous among them is the zamuro or gallinazo , 
(Cathartes Atratus,) that constant companion of rude 
civilization in all tropical countries, but an indolent, 
greedy and disgusting associate. As, however, they oc¬ 
casionally render service in the capacity of scavengers, 
they are generally tolerated among the fowl of the farm¬ 
yard. It is a gregarious bird, and collects in large 
flocks on the roof and fences, where, with knowing 
glances, they seem to be scanning all the actions of 
the inmates. I often amused myself in threatening 
them with a missile of some sort; but they never ap¬ 
peared to notice it, until they perceived me to be in 
earnest: then with wings half spread and leaning for- . 
ward, they watched intently the moment when I should 
hurl it at them to evade it by flight or a dodge of the. 
head.—They build their nests in holes which they dig 


BIRDS OF ILL OMEN AND CARRION HAWKS. 219 

in the ground. Their young are white, gradually 
changing to black as they grow older, and only two 
are raised by the parent every year. Although essen¬ 
tially carrion feeders, the olfactories of these birds are 
not so sensitive as to discover for them a dead animal 
—as many supposebut their sight is very good. 
They fly to immense heights, and thence examine every 
portion of the ground below them. In doing this they 
may often be observed on motionless wing, whirling 
round and round in graceful evolutions. 

With the zamuro is often associated another carrion 
vulture, the oripopo or turkey-buzzard, (Yultur aura,) 
of the same size and with similar habits to the former. 
It differs however, from its relative in color—which is 
dark brown—and in having its neck more destitute of 
feathers. It is also more elegant in form and in its 
graceful evolutions through the air than the black 
vulture. The turkey-buzzard has a wide geographical 
range, having been met by Audubon as far north as 
Pennsylvania, and by Darwin in the arid plains of 
Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. When soaring 
through the upper regions of the air, it can be at once 
recognized by its long, sweeping flight, accompanied 
by a buzzing sound, much like the gust of the whirl¬ 
wind, and perfectly audible from a great distance. 

The Rey-Zamuro , or king of the vultures, (Yultur 
papa,) larger than the foregoing, is the most beautiful 
of its kind. Its plumage, resembling down in softness 
and fineness, is of a pearly white, excepting the wings, 
which are tipped with black. The breast and neck, 
although entirely bare of feathers, are decked in the 
most brilliant tint of blue, orange, and red, while a sort 


220 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of membranous excrescence crowns the head, giving 
it a truly royal appearance. 

This King of the vultures has also very aristocratic 
habits, never associating with any, not even those of 
liis own tribe. It is a remarkable fact that when he 
alights upon a carcass, amidst a flock of other vultures, 
all these last retire, or make a circle round the ban¬ 
quet. When his majesty has dined, he flies olf, utter¬ 
ing a loud cry, and only then his subjects venture to 
approach the carrion. 

There is in the.more elevated part of the adjoining 
province of Barinas, another bird of the same class— 
Vultur barbatus—which partakes of the eagle and the 
vulture, but is larger than either. It is called in con¬ 
sequence gavilucho —eagle-hawk—and has been seen 
at times descending toward the plains. The legs and 
wings are very long and powerful. It is said to be 
very handsome, but it is extremely shy of man. The 
plumage is bluish, red, white and yellow. This 
bird joins to the boldness and cruelty of the eagle, the 
loathsome voracity of the vultures. It prefers live 
flesh, especially that of small quadrupeds, and preys 
principally upon rabbits, goats, sheep and even young* 
calves. It raises only one brood in a season, and 
builds its nest amidst the most inaccessible ledges of 
the Cordilleras. 

I will close the list of the carrion birds of Vene¬ 
zuela with enumerating two others, nearly allied to 
the hawk, but partaking also of the characteristics of 
the eagle. These are the caricari and chiriguare 
(Polyborus Brasiliensis and P. Chiinango) correspond¬ 
ing to the caracaras and carrancha of Brazil and 


BIRDS OF ILL OMEN AND CARRION HAWKS. 221 

Buenos Ayres, concerning which Darwin has given 
this graphic account: 

“ The caracaras are from their structure placed 
among the eagles : we shall soon see how ill they be¬ 
come so high a rank. In their habits they will supply 
the place of our carrion crows, magpies and ravens, a 
tribe of birds widely distributed over the rest of the 
world, but entirely absent in South America. 

“The carranchas, together with the chimango, 
constantly attend in numbers the estancias and 
slaughtering-houses. If an animal dies on the plain, 
the gallinazo commences the feast, and then the two 
species of Polyborus pick the bones clean. These 
birds, although thus commonly feeding together, are 
far from being friendly. When the carrancha is 
quietly seated on the branch of a tree or on the 
ground, the chimango often continues for a long time 
flying backward and forward, up and down, in a 
semicircle, trying each time at the bottom of the 
curve to strike its larger relative. Although the 
carranchas frequently assemble in numbers, they are 
not gregarious ; for in desert places they may be seen 
solitary, or more commonly in pairs. 

“ The carranchas are said .to be very crafty, and 
to steal great numbers of eggs. They attempt, also, 
together with the chimango, to pick off the scabs 
from the sore backs of horses and mules. The poor 
animal, on the one hand, with its ears down and its 
back arched, and, on the other hand, the hovering 
bird, eyeing at the distance of a yard the disgusting 
morsel, form a picture, which has been described by 
Captain Head with his own peculiar spirit and ac- 


222 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

curacy. These false eagles rarely kill any living bird 
or animal ; and their vulture-like, necrophagous 
habits are very evident to any one who has fallen 
asleep on the desolate plains of Patagonia, for when 
he wakes he will see, on each surrounding hillock, 
one of these birds patiently watching him with an 
evil eye; it is a feature in the landscape of these 
countries, which will be recognized by every one who 
has wandered over them. If a party of men go oat 
hunting with dogs and horses, they will be accom¬ 
panied during the day by several of these attendants. 
After feeding, the uncovered craw protrudes; at 
such times, and indeed, generally, the carrancha is an 
inactive, tame, and cowardly bird. Its flight is heavy 
and slow, like that of an English rook. It seldom soars; 
but I have twice seen one at a great height gliding 
through the air with great ease. It runs, (in contra¬ 
distinction to hopping,) but not quite so quickly as 
some of its congeners. At times the carrancha is 
noisy, but is not generally so; its cry is loud, very 
harsh and peculiar, and may be likened to the sound 
of the Spanish guttural g , followed by a rough double 
r r ; when uttering this cry, it elevates its head higher 
and higher, till at last, with its beak wide open, the 
crown almost touches the lower part of the head. 
This fact, which has been doubted, is quite true.” 

These birds are, however, a great blessing to the 
inhabitants of the Llanos, who are indebted to them, 
not only for the destruction of vast numbers of snakes 
and other reptiles, but for the service they render 
conjointly with the vultures in consuming the offal 
near houses. They seek their food both in dry lands 


BIRDS OF ILL OMEN AND CARRION HAWKS. 223 

and amidst the swampy borders of rivers ; on the one 
they find serpents and lizards in abundance; in the 
other terrapins, frogs and small crocodiles. They 
are peculiar in always killing their prey before com¬ 
mencing to devour it. If the caricari meet with a 
serpent or young crocodile large enough to oppose a 
long resistance, he Approaches it sideways, shielded 
by one of his wings spread out, and striking his prey 
near the head with his bill, retires to a short distance 
to watch the result. A second blow is usually fatal, 
upon which, seizing his victim in his claws, he tears 
it with his bill. The sluggish tortoises and terrapins 
are easy prey for the caricari ; these he renders help¬ 
less by turning them upon their backs, then with his 
powerful bill tears out the entrails. 

Singing birds are of great numbers and varieties 
in the Llanos ; these are mostly of the oriole species, 
all of which seem to delight in the vicinity of man. 
They usually select some tree near the house, and 
from its slender topmost branches, weave their hang¬ 
ing nests beyond reach of mischievous boys and mon¬ 
keys. One of these songsters, the gonzal , had his 
nest close by the ropes of my hammock, where every 
morning before sunrise he awakened me by his sweetly 
plaintive notes; and so fascinated was I by this charm¬ 
ing neighbor, that I always remained long after the 
reveille, listening to his delicious music. 

There is another closely allied species, far superioi 
to this or any other bird of the kind with which I am 
acquainted. It is the troupial, whose powerful notes 
can only be likened to strains of the violin. It is 
easily domesticated in houses, and learns readily any 


224 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


air from hearing it whistled. I have one of these 
birds at home (in New York) which sings the Ca- 
chuca, Yankee Doodle, and various other tunes, be¬ 
sides distinctly whistling the name of a person. Its 
predominant colors are rich orange and shining black, 
with white spots on the wings and bill in beautiful 
contrast. It is a dangerous pet, however, if at large 
in a house, attacking strangers furiously, and always 
aiming at the eyes. 

The arrendajo , or mocking-oriole, is perhaps the 
most extraordinary of its kind, on account of its imi¬ 
tative proclivities, mimicking every sound with such 
exactness, that he goes by the name of mocking-bird 
among the colonists of Demerara ; according to 
Waterton, “His own song is sweet, but very short. 
If a toucan be yelping in the neighborhood, he drops 
it, and imitates him. Then he will amuse his pro¬ 
tector with the cries of the different species of wood¬ 
pecker, and when the sheep bleat he will distinctly 
answer them. Then comes his own song again ; and 
if a puppy dog or a guinea fowl interrupt him, he 
takes them off admirably, and by his different ges¬ 
tures during the time, you would conclude that he 
enjoys the sport.” 

The arrendajo is, besides, a beautiful bird, and 
considered by ornithologists a model of symmetry; 
his predominant color is a glossy black, with the ex¬ 
ception of his belly, rump and half the tail, which 
are of a bright yellow. On each wing also he has a 
spot of the same color. His beak is tinged of a deli¬ 
cate shade of lemon, While his eyes are sky blue, the 
pupil being a deeper shade of the same. 






























































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CHAPTER. XIIL 


THE RODEO. 

We had long been impatiently awaiting the com¬ 
mand for a general turnout and chase among the 
legions of wild cattle grazing in the far horizon ; and 
when at length the day was appointed for a rodeo or 
grand hunt, the universal gratification was boundless. 

It is customary in all large cattle farms to assem¬ 
ble from time to time the cattle of certain districts for 
the purpose of selecting those which require branding 
and marking, and also to allow the neighboring farm¬ 
ers to separate from the herds many stray animals 
belonging to them, which, from the open nature of 
the plains, it is impossible to keep within the boun¬ 
daries of their own savannas. This operation cannot 
be accomplished without a great number*of able and 
expert riders, who, on a given day, surround a large 
area of country and drive toward one centre all the 
cattle that may be found within the selected space. 
An extended circle or ring is thus formed, enclosing 
a great horde of wild animals; these are kept in check 


226 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

by the well-concerted evolutions of the vaqueros until 
the appointed rendezvous is reached, where, after 
allowing the cattle to cool down, the different brands 
are selected ; hence the name of rodeo , from rodear , 
to surround. 

The object on this occasion was not only to sepa¬ 
rate all the calves that required branding, but also to 
collect a large drove of oxen, so as to furnish our ex¬ 
tensive potreros of San Pablo de Paya with market¬ 
able beeves. 

Our first foray against the horned tenants of the 
wilderness would thus assume an importance seldom 
witnessed in that retired corner of the republic; as 
also in addition to our own force, we counted upon 
the ■ assistance of the vaqueros from the neighboring 
cattle farms of Caucagua, La Yagua, and others bor¬ 
dering these savannas. Due notice was accordingly 
sent to the respective owners of those estates to mus¬ 
ter on a certain day all their forces upon the field. 

The area selected for the hunt embraced at least 
fifteen miles d la ronde. The hunters, in squads of 
six or eight, proceeded on the afternoon of the day 
before the hunt to their stations at various points of 
the savanna, having instructions to start at early 
dawn for the appointed centre. We of the staff made 
a simultaneous move from the house, driving before 
us, without distinction, all the animals we encoun¬ 
tered on the route. The cattle being so unexpectedly 
roused from their slumbers, naturally endeavored to 
fly from their pursuers. Soon, however, meeting 
those from opposite directions, they whirled in mad 
despair, vainly endeavoring to break through the ex- 


THE RODEO. 


227 


tended line of horsemen, who were constantly gallop¬ 
ing about the struggling mass with shouts and thrusts 
from their steel-pointed garrochas. 

At the commencement it was a truly interesting 
sight to watch the many groups of cattle, deer, wild 
boars, dogs, foxes, and other wild quadrupeds coming 
in from all directions as if impelled by one common 
instinct; but no sooner did that living ring commence 
closing upon them, than, scared by the confusion and 
uproar of the scene, their terror quickly grew to 
frenzy, and they ran from side to side bellowing, 
grunting, howling as they went. Solely intent upon 
the danger that menaced them, the mother forgot her 
offspring, and listened no more to their painful lamen¬ 
tations ; the lover abandoned his beloved, seeking 
only his own safety in disgraceful flight; and even the 
fierce bull, forgetting for a moment that he is sover¬ 
eign of those realms, lost his natural spirit of brave 
defiance, and rushed blindly off in the train of the 
frightened multitude. As if to increase the grandeur 
of the spectacle, a garzero , which had established 
itself on the borders of a creek hard by, also caught 
the alarm, and at our approach flew up in the air 
with a tremendous crashing of wing and bill, leaving 
their young to care for themselves, and with their 
discordant and piercing cries to swell the uproar of 
the scene. It is impossible to convey an adequate 
idea of this vast multitude of frightened cranes and 
herons of all sorts which fluttered overhead at that 
moment; so great was their number that they spread 
over an extent of several miles, and actually for a 
time cast a deep shadow over the landscape. 


228 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Not less than eight or ten thousand head of cattle 
were brought within the ring formed of more than a 
hundred horsemen, who, in preventing the escape of 
the animals, were compelled to expose themselves and 
their noble steeds to the vindictiveness of the bulls, 
which were -constantly rushing upon the lines in their 
endeavors to regain the open prairie. Whenever this 
was attempted, a horseman galloped boldly upon the 
fugitive, and by interposing himself between the open 
field and the bull, forced the latter back to the herd. 
Wonderfully adroit were the herdsmen in their avoid¬ 
ance of the repeated strokes aimed at them by the 
bulls, even when it appeared impossible to escape 
being caught between the animal’s horns. The gar- 
rocha played an important part in repelling these at¬ 
tacks. This instrument, only second in importance 
to the lazo when in the hands of expert riders, is 
made of the slender, yet tough stem, of the alvarico 
palm, (aenocarpus cubarro,) by merely sharpening the 
top end to a point, or surmounting it with an iron 
head, around which a number of loose rings of the 
same metal are affixed ; these, when shaken close 
to the animal’s ear, frighten him off with the rattling 
sound they produce. The shaft of the goad is fully 
ten feet long, and although not thicker than a walk¬ 
ing-stick, can bear an immense amount of pressure 
without breaking. As a weapon of aggression, this 
slender palm stem has become justly celebrated 
throughout the country, from the/act of having sup¬ 
plied the primitive bands of. patriots who first dared 
to oppose the tyrannical rule of Spain with ready¬ 
made lances in the wilderness. The manner in which 


THE RODEO. 


229 


Llaneros make use of the garrocha is quite extra¬ 
ordinary. When in pursuit of a bull which they pur¬ 
pose turning back to the rodeo , if the animal be 
swifter than the horse, the rider always manages to 
reach him with the point of his spear. This he 
thrusts into the hull’s hide, just above the shoulder- 
blade, and then leans forward and rests the whole 
weight of his body upon the shaft, assisted in it by 
his intelligent charger. The equilibrium of the bull 
is thus usually destroyed, and he rolls headlong upon 
the ground. These falls are often sufficient to pre¬ 
vent further attempts at escape, in which case the 
bull is easily led into the rodeo. This performance, 
however, is one of the most dangerous practised 
among Llaneros, and is undertaken only by the most 
skilful and experienced riders, as, should the spear 
glance off while the hunter is leaning upon it, or 
should he happen to overturn the bull in front of his 
horse, he will in either case receive a terrific fall, and 
in the latter event, probably come into collision with 
the fallen animal. 

From the. midst, and above all the heads of that 
tumultuous assemblage of wild animals, rose the 
shaggy frontlet of a black bull, whose martial air and 
fearless step seemed to proclaim him the patriarch of 
the herd. An experienced Llanero, intently watching 
all his movements from afar, observed to those near 
him, that they would soon have fresh sport; and that 
“ if any one prized the skin of his horse, he would do 
well to look to his spurs; ” meaning that the black 
bull evidently intended mischief. Mr. Thomas, who 
was busily sketching the novel scene before him, un- 


230 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


accustomed to the jargon of the Llanos, did not un¬ 
derstand this remark, and therefore quietly continued 
his occupation. The next moment the bull was in 
our midst, charging first upon Captain Yalor, one of 
the best riders on the field, who, in spite of his name, 
hastily spurred his steed out of reach ; but the bull 
still pursuing, charged again and again upon him, 
and doubtless the last attempt would have been fatal 
to either horse or cavalier, had not the bull been 
checked in his final onset by accidentally plunging 
one of his legs into the hole of an armadillo, which 
fortunate circumstance gave the captain time to dis¬ 
tance his pursuer. The bull next sought to vent his 
rage on the incautious artist, who, one leg crossed 
over the neck of his horse as support for his sketch¬ 
book, sat evidently absorbed in contemplation of the 
powerful and daring brute, with whose ferocious 
nature he was totally unacquainted. Having never 
before attended sports of the kind, my friend paid 
little regard to- the menacing attitude of the animal, 
who rushed upon him with a fearful bellow that made 
us tremble for his fate. But for some unaccountable 
reason, the bull after one or two ineffectual attempts 
to strike his intended victim, wheeled about and dis¬ 
appeared among the tangled jungle bordering the 
creek, apparently indignant at the nonchalance with 
which John Bull received the advances of his name¬ 
sake. Fearing the recurrence of similar attacks, 
which might have a less fortunate termination, it was 
decided to disembarrass ourselves of so uncomfort¬ 
able a neighbor; with this object, the requisite number 
of horsemen provided with lazos were sent to capture 


THE RODEO. 


281 


and subdue him. Instead of seeking safety in precip¬ 
itate flight, as is generally the case with wild bulls, 
this one unflinchingly stood his ground, and neither 
shouts nor menaces could induce him to abandon the 
threatening attitude he had assumed. It was indeed 
a splendid sight to behold that proud monarch of the 
horned tribe bidding defiance to all about him, his 
huge and shaggy head, surmounted by a pair of 
pointed, powerful horns, high in air, and with an ex¬ 
pression of countenance that was almost diabolical. 
His savage upper lip looked as if curled in contempt 
of his antagonists, and his eyes gleamed with fury in 
the light of the morning sun. Occasionally with his 
fore feet he ploughed up the earth, which, falling in 
showers upon him, he swept from his sides with his 
tail, uttering all the while a sort of suppressed roar 
resembling distant thunder. Then came the furious 
charge, when every one was compelled to run for his 
life, as nothing could arrest his headlong course. 
Blinded with rage, he spared not even those of his 
own species, killing two heifers instantly, and wound¬ 
ing a bull so severely that he died shortly after¬ 
ward. Each time the men whirled the lazo to 
throw it over his head, he dashed forward with such 
rapidity as to disconcert their aim, until, finally, a 
bold and agile sambo, Sarmiento by name, who acted 
as caporal, and of whom we shall say more hereafter, 
dismounting from his horse and seizing the red blan¬ 
ket from his saddle, prepared to face the bull without 
the encumbrance of the lazo. His intention was to 
bewilder or torear him by a succession of such feats 
of agility as are usually practised by matadors in bull 


232 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


figlits ; and so successful was he, that in one of the 
animal’s. furious charges, he succeeded in grasping 
and holding his tail; and in spite of the efforts the 
bull made to strike him with his horns, Sarmiento 
followed his movements so closely, that by a dexter¬ 
ous twist of the tail he succeeded in overthrowing the 
brute upon his side; he then drew the tail between 
the hind legs, and as this completely deprives the 
animal of all power of rising, he was enabled to hold 
him until others came to his assistance. Then, to 
prevent further mischief, the men proceeded to saw 
off the tops of his horns and to perform upon him 
other usual operations. These precautions, however, 
proved quite unnecessary, as the bull, exhausted by 
rage and loss of blood, shortly afterward dropped 
upon the ground and expired. 

In spite of the vigilance and constant efforts of the 
men to keep the animals within the rodeo , several 
other bulls managed to break through the ranks. The 
only method of bringing them back was by using 
the all-potent lazo, and two men, one of them thus 
equipped, were despatched after the fugitive, which 
on being noosed, was by the second man speedily 
thrown upon his side by means of that dangerous ap¬ 
pendage, the tail, in the management of which the 
Llaneros of Venezuela are so famous. This accom¬ 
plished, they pierced the thick cartilage which divides 
the nostrils with the point of a dagger; one end of 
the thong was then passed though the wound, while 
the other remained fastened to the horse’s tail; the 
Llanero, then mounting his steed, jerked the end at¬ 
tached to the bull, which brought the prostrate beast 


TIIE RODEO. 


238 


at once to his feet, when he was marched off to his 
destination without further trouble, literally led by 
the nose. 

Another method of arresting a hull in his flight, 
is by a bold man oeuvre termed colear, and wdiich con¬ 
sists, as already stated, in availing themselves of the 
animal’s tail to overthrow him when at full speed ; 
but that is not easy of accomplishment, as the bull 
has then such entire freedom of movement. The 
horse also must be perfectly well trained to these 
hazardous undertakings, and should obey instantly 
the slightest pull of the bit; for if the bull turns sud¬ 
denly upon his pursuer, the chances are ten to one 
that the horse will be severely wounded. The rider 
first gallops close to the rear of the bull, and seizing 
his tail wdth one hand, gives it a turn or two around 
his wrist to prevent its slipping. When thus pre¬ 
pared, he urges his horse forward, until the heads of 
the two animals are on a “ dead-heat; ” then quickly 
turning in an oblique direction, and exerting all his 
strength, he pulls the bull toward him, and does not 
relinquish his hold until he perceives that the enemy 
is tottering, when he is easily overthrown from the 
great impetus imparted by their rapid pace. Some 
men are so dexterous that they can colear with both 
hands at the same time; which necessarily gives greater 
power over the bull, enabling the rider to bring him 
down much more readily. The horse, in this case, 
left to his own well-taught guidance, assists the man¬ 
oeuvres of his rider, pushing forward at the instant he 
perceives that his master is prepared for the pull, and 
turning about also at the right moment. ITow won- 


234 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

derful tlie instinct of these noble creatures! that 
teaches them so readily the importance of the slight¬ 
est movement, on which often depends, not only the 
success of the enterprise, but their own safety, as 
well as that of their masters. If too powerful resist¬ 
ance is offered at the outset by the bull, as is some¬ 
times the case, the rider still clings to the tail of his 
adversary, and throwing himself off his horse while 
at full speed, the impetus combined with his weight 
and strength never fail in bringing the bull like a 
fallen giant to the ground; then the man quickly 
drawing the tail between the hind legs, awaits the 
arrival of his companions to assist in securing the 
prize. 

It was often matter of surprise to me in what 
manner the Llaneros, notwithstanding the thorough 
training of the horses, contrived their speedy ap¬ 
proach to the rear of the bulls, as these were usually 
considerably ahead at the start. On one occasion, I 
was regretting that my pony was too small to keep 
pace with the hunters, when one of the men, who w T as 
mounted on a prototype of Rosinante—on which, 
nevertheless, he had performed prodigies of strength 
—turned to me and said, “ Vaya, nino , let me show 
you that this is not the fault of the horse, but that of 
the rider whereupon we exchanged horses, and off 
he went after a powerful bull just escaped. Not 
many minutes elapsed before I lost sight of horse and 
rider in a cloud of dust raised by the beast in its fall. 

Some hours elapsed before the tremendous excite¬ 
ment and confusion of the wild melee described above 
had sufficiently subsided to render the forms of men 


THE RODEO. 


235 


and cattle visible through the clouds of dust and ashes 
raised by the trampling of so many animals. The 
grass, at this period parched by the sun and reduced 
to ashes in various places by the usual conflagrations, 
mingled with the dust and rose in dense columns, 
which from afar might have been mistaken for the 
dreaded monsoon. 

In the mean while the distracted mothers ran from 
side to side, lowing piteously for their missing 
young. Here and there fierce duellos among rival 
bulls took place for the possession of some shaggy one 
of the softer sex. Butting their huge fronts together, 
and goring each other with their sharp-pointed horns, 
they fought with the courage and skill of accomplished 
gladiators, tearing up the earth in wild fury, and fill¬ 
ing the air with their deep, savage bellowings. A 
crowd of admirers from amidst the herd formed a 
circle around the combatants, and if any from among 
their number evinced the least disposition to interfere, 
he was immediately chased away by the others, so 
that there might be fair play while the fight lasted. 
Often these encounters proved fatal to one of the bel¬ 
ligerents, as neither will yield the palm without a 
desperate resistance. 

The bellowing of thousands of animals, with the 
yells and deafening shouts of the men galloping 
about the plain, waving their ponchos and rattling 
their garrochas , combined to give the scene more the 
appearance of a fiendish melodrama, than a purely 
pastoral assemblage of men and cattle. 

The confusion having at length subsided, four 
of the ablest horsemen, penetrating the living mass, 


236 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

which, as they advanced, surged on either side like 
the waves of the sea, commenced the difficult task of 
separating the animals intended for the brand, and 
those belonging to our neighbors. This occasioned 
another series of evolutions, which only men trained 
to such exercises could have accomplished success- 
fully. 

It is usual in all cattle-farms to cut a notch or two 
in the animal’s ear at the time they are branded, for 
the purpose of recognizing them more readily from a 
distance, a precaution which is particularly serviceable 
on occasions like that just described, it being impossi¬ 
ble to read the brand when the creatures are crowded 
into a herd. Although most of the calves had not 
the notch, they belong by right to the owner of the 
mother, even if they are found on the lands of another 
party. Of it the vaqueros availed themselves in 
their subsequent apportioning of'the different lots of 
cattle. This they accomplished in the most expedi¬ 
tious manner by riding boldly at the animals in ques¬ 
tion, hastening or checking their progress through the 
herd as the case required. Thus by repeated evolu¬ 
tions of the sort, they finally brought the animals to 
the edge of the ring, where an opening was purposely 
left for their escape, and then the nearest horseman 
drove them in among a small body of tame cattle sta¬ 
tioned a short distance from the rodeo. These violent 
manoeuvrings could not be accomplished, however, 
without endangering at every step the security of. the 
entire herd. Each time the drivers turned out an 
animal the whole mass was thrown into the utmost 
confusion, and it required the most consummate skill 


THE RODEO. 


237 


on the part of the men to prevent the entire disper¬ 
sion of the cattle. The fearlessness with which the 
drivers plunged into that labyrinth of savage, panting 
brutes, advancing close upon the wall of bristling 
horns which barred their progress, and boldly driving 
the infuriated creatures before them like a pack of 
sheep, was truly worthy of admiration. The readiness 
with which they detected at a distance the mark on the 
animal’s ears was also no less noticeable, singling out 
such at a glance, and immediately driving them away 
to their respective groups. When all the brands had 
thus been apportioned, each owner proceeded to drive 
away his own herd. We found in these cases-—as in¬ 
deed in all similar ones—the assistance of madrineros 
or trained oxen, of great service in driving a large 
body of cattle across the plains. A dozen of these 
oxen were sufficient to lead a vast drove, stopping or 
advancing at a signal from the overseer, while the 
vaqueros kept close watch on rear and flank to pre¬ 
vent escape and to urge on the cattle, especially the 
crowd of stray calves—some of them only a few hours 
old—which, like a procession of lost children, kept up 
a continual bewailing for their mothers as if the last 
ray of hope had departed from them. Although 
their case was indeed a hard one, and the task of driv¬ 
ing them over-the rough ground still harder, we were 
unwilling to leave them behind, hoping to find their 
mammas among the multitude before us. When within 
a short distance from the house, we halted to make 
preparations, for the enclosure of the herds. But one 
of the most dangerous parts of the proceedings yet re¬ 
mained, that of forcing the cattle into the corrals. 


238 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


The entrance to the majada —shaped like a great 
funnel—was, like the rest of the fences, made of very 
strong posts, driven into the ground and barred across 
at intervals with thick rafters of bamboo. Through 
this funnel, or manga , the cattle in small lots wen 
driven at full speed headed by the jnadrineros —those 
treacherous guides trained to ensnare their kindred- 
while the horsemen barricaded the mouth of the fun¬ 
nel with the breasts of the poor horses. Every thing 
proceeded satisfactorily as far as the end of the funnel, 
the madrineros , with all the cunning of semi-civilized 
brutes, redoubling their pace at the moment of enter¬ 
ing the great enclosure. Then their wild brethren, 
perceiving the treachery, turned upon their captors, 
and a most fearful struggle ensued. The bulls, in 
spite of the deafening shouts of the men, and the for¬ 
midable array of garrochas levelled at their heads, en¬ 
deavored to force their way back to the open plain, 
and many of them actually succeeded in breaking 
through the barricade of horses. Thus many noble 
steeds, which until then had escaped unhurt,’ met with 
an inglorious death. That most of the men escaped 
unhurt, appeared little less than tniraculous, as not 
only were they also exposed at every moment to the 
vindictive attacks of the bulls, but it often happened 
that some of them were unhorsed, when they vrere in 
imminent danger of being trampled by the retreating 
foe. The superior skill and intrepidity of man, how¬ 
ever, triumphed at length over mere* brute resistance, 
and the whole herd was in a short time securely quar¬ 
tered in the majada . 


CHAPTER XIV. 


BRANDING SCENES. 

“ Entre tanto en ancha hoguera 
Como encendido tizon, 

Ya la marca centellea 
Con chispas de azul punzo.” 

Ventuka de la Veqa. 

It was late in the evening when we partook of our 
only meal that day, and we afterward retired to rest, 
hut not to sleep, owing to the incessant noise made 
by the cattle in the corrals, who, during the whole 
night, were rushing to and fro as if goaded by demons. 
Sometimes we feared that the fences would give way 
before their mad onset, while the dust rose in suffo¬ 
cating clouds, filling the atmosphere and mingling 
with our food, which was thus rendered almost unfit 
for use. The bellowing, roaring, and moaning of the 
herd could only be likened to the wild confusion of a 
battle-field. Many of the savage bulls in their fury 
turned their horns, sharp as bayonets, against their 
own kindred. The proud padrote, his dusky mate, 
and the tender heifer shared alike in the slaughter. 
The next day numbers lay gored to death in the dust 


240 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of the corrals, while others presented ghastly wounds. 
Soon the carcasses began to putrefy, which, added to 
the particles of dust floating through the air we 
breathed, rendered the atmosphere intolerable. Many 
more of the cattle died of suffocation, and others from 
an infectious disease induced by the crowded state of 
the herd and the noxious -exhalations from the car¬ 
casses. We therefore lost no time in branding them 
that they might be set free, lest the infection should 
extend to the whole herd. 

Animals affected in this manner exhibit no symp¬ 
toms of the disease until immediately prior to their 
demise, when they are observed to stagger a few 
paces and drop suddenly, as if shot by a rifle ball; 
and yet the vultures seem to possess an intuitive 
knowledge of this approaching dissolution, in proof 
whereof, numbers of these feathery satellites of death 
can be seen hovering around an animal which the 
scourge has doomed, although it is apparently still in 
perfect health. The infection, fortunately, is confined 
to the horned cattle, no instance of its transmission to 
other creatures occurring, except in the case of men 
venturing to skin the carcasses, when it assumes a dif¬ 
ferent form. Persons who have thus exposed them¬ 
selves are seized with a horrible swelling of the neck, 
commencing with a pimple not larger than a pin’s 
head, and gradually increasing in size until it extends 
to the cerebellum. Death is the inevitable result if the 
patient is not promptly attended by a skilful physi¬ 
cian. There were two or three cases of the kind 
among our own people, but by careful treatment we 
were fortunate enough to save them. There are, how- 


BRANDING SCENES. 


241 


ever, every year many poor fellows in that improvi¬ 
dent region, who, not having the same advantages, are 
often carried away by the distemper. 

The branding of cattle., as conducted in extensive 
establishments, is a real festival for the sport-loving 
people of the Llanos; and each one feels himself as 
deeply interested therein as though assisting at a 
grand bull tight—the time-honored amusement of the 
descendants of Pelayo, the Cid, and other worthies of 
like celebrity; and indeed the former, or hierra , as 
that wild pageant is termed, with all its incidents and 
dangers, all its noise and bustle, is perhaps the grand¬ 
est spectacle of the kind that could be devised for the 
entertainment and training of that ehivalric race. 
It is undoubtedly one of the wildest scenes ever be¬ 
held in the pampas, and one which afforded me ex¬ 
ceeding pleasure from the variety of incident accom¬ 
panying it. The majada is, in fact, the school in 
which from infancy the Llanero is trained to conquer 
or to die in daily struggles with the brute creation. 
It is a veritable Olympic Circus, where the agility 
and strength for which he is famed are displayed 
during the exciting operations performed upon the 
savage denizens of the savannas, branding and mark¬ 
ing the calves, sawing off the horns of furious bulls 
and converting them into oxen for the improvement 
of their flesh and disposition. 

On the day appointed, all animals confined in the 
majada are driven into the corralejas or smaller cor¬ 
rals adjoining the great enclosure, and there packed 
as closely as possible to prevent the bulls, always 
ready to strike, from doing much mischief among 


242 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


their own kindred. Meantime the men prepare 
their lazos and station themselves according to their 
respective strength and ability, while the boys kindle 
a blazing fire in a safe corner of the majada , in which 
the various brands to be used are kept at a red heat. 
These brands generally represent the initials of the 
owner, or some sort of hieroglyphic stamp affixed to 
the end of a long handle. A record of these is kept 
by the Justice of the Peace in each district; and it is 
considered a great crime to alter or in any unauthor¬ 
ized manner efface their impression from the skin of 
animals. The cattle are usually branded on the 
haunches; but whenever a horse, mule, or mare is 
sold, the brand in a reversed position is again affixed, 
this time on its shoulder, followed by the buyer’s 
brand, the same operation being repeated whenever 
the animal changes hands, so that some poor beasts 
come at last to be quite disfigured with deep scars. 

When all is ready for the fray, the majordomo, 
climbing to the highest post of the enclosure, from 
whence he directs operations, gives the signal. Here 
he keeps an account of the calves branded, by notch¬ 
ing a long strip of raw hide. A number of these 
strips, called tarja or tally, are carefully preserved in 
every cattle farm as a record to be laid before the 
owner at the year’s end in lieu of balance-sheet. 

The principal business of the day being that of 
branding the calves collected at the rodeo, two or 
three men armed with lazos, fearlessly enter the 
pens at peril of life and limb—for the mothers are 
ever ready to defend their young*—and proceed to 
drag the calves out singly by means of the lazo, 


BRANDING SCENES. 


243 


though not without many obstinate struggles on their 
part, and the more formidable resistance of their par¬ 
ents, which are kept back at the point of the gar- 
rocha by men stationed on the fences. The contest, 
however, is not of very long duration ; the calf nearly 
choked by the lazo, and tormented by a cruel twisting 
of his tail, springs forward toward the branding 
place. The moment he passes the threshold, one or 
two little imps pounce upon the tail, jerking it until 
they succeed in throwing him down ; the lazo is then 
quickly removed, and the captor hurries back to the 
pen for another calf. When a number have been 
thus secured, a man goes round with the brand, and 
in a very short time the whole lot are stamped 
with the burning seal of the estate amidst the pit¬ 
eous hello wings and ineffectual kicks of the helpless 
creatures. 

These operations, although performed on young 
animals, are not so easily accomplished as might be 
supposed ; it being not unusual for full-grown ones to 
spring over the fences, or force their way through the 
narrow gate of their pen. At such times, the opera¬ 
tors outside are in imminent danger of being assailed 
by the fugitives, if the latter are not promptly se¬ 
cured by men stationed for the purpose at the gate of 
the corralejas. It becomes a much more serious busi¬ 
ness when a powerful bull is lazoed. He not only re¬ 
fuses obstinately to be dragged out like a calf, but re¬ 
quires the combined force and skill of all the men to 
compel him from the pen, although the gate is pur¬ 
posely left wide open. In such cases a picador, 
climbing to the top of the fence, endeavors to drive 


244 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


out the animal by repeated thrusts of the goad ; that 
also failing, another lets himself down close to the 
bull’s tail, which he twists violently, and this seldom 
fails to drive the refractory creature madly out, fol¬ 
lowed by the shouts and huzzas of his cruel torment¬ 
ors. The next proceeding is to throw him for the 
purpose of regaining the lazo, and for the performance 
of the above-mentioned operations. This, however, is 
no easy matter, from the frantic plunges of the bull, 
who has the entire range of the lazo. The only cer¬ 
tain method is that of dragging him close upon a 
post— botalon —driven into the ground, where his over¬ 
throw is finally accomplished by the united efforts of 
several men, one grappling his hind legs, another 
seizing the tail, while two others keep a steady hold 
of the thong, until the animal, at last exhausted, drops 
heavily to the ground. 

To justly appreciate scenes like these, one must 
himself behold the dusky athlete battling single- 
handed with a bull just escaping from the corral. 
Seizing him by a horn with one hand, the Llanero 
still holding it watches his opportunity until he can 
grasp with the other the ^animal’s tail. The bull is 
then allowed to run as fast as he will, as the greater 
his speed the more easily liis downfall is accomplished. 
If the bull moves too slowly, a few impressive jerks 
generally accelerate his speed; but occasionally he 
returns the compliment by turning fiercely upon his 
tail-bearer, who, if not very nimble, risks being gored 
to death ; yet his skilful antagonist, not only usually 
succeeds in evading his attack, but speedily contrives 
to throw him. No sooner does this occur, than the 


BRANDING SCENES. 


245 


vanquished one is surrounded by a host of merry yell¬ 
ing vagabonds, one brandishing a huge knife, which 
he sharpens on the horns previous to performing the 
operation which transforms the animal into. an ox, 
and if not previously marked, cuts his ear according 
to the rule of the estate whose property he is; another 
holds a red-hot brand, which he implants at once 
upon the quivering hide ; while a third with a small 
hand-saw cuts off the sharp points of the horns. The 
whole operation scarcely occupies three minutes’ time ; 
but notwithstanding this, the danger is very great if 
the bull succeed in regaining his feet before it is fin¬ 
ished, as, instead of being subdued, no sooner is he 
free, than he turns upon his assailants in renewed 
fury, and then those valiant heroes may be seen scat¬ 
tering about the arena like a flock of partridges. 
"With nostrils widely distended, and foaming at the 
mouth, the bull for an instant stands an embodiment 
of rage and terror, endeavoring to discover the objects 
of his vengeance. None, however, are presumptuous 
enough to await his onset; they would be levelled 
with the dust in an instant, and his conquerors there¬ 
fore adopt the wiser policy of a speedy retreat to the 
highest fence, wdience they pour a volley of abuse 
upon his shaggy head. 

Occasionally, wdiile the men were engaged with 
one bull, several others effected their escape in spite 
of the men whose business it was to prevent it. The 
situation of the others then became critical in the ex¬ 
treme, being exposed to the attacks of the fugitives 
on the one hand, and to those of the prisoner on the 
other; this last they were often compelled to abandon 


246 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


in the midst of their labors. Those who held younger 
animals formed with their bodies a sort of barricade 
w r ith which to fend off the aggressor, when no other 
expedient could be resorted to. At times it appeared 
almost impossible to escape the impetuous charge of 
the bulls, especially when the men were some distance 
from the fences ; the only remaining means of safety 
then consisted in throwing themselves flat upon the 
ground at the moment the bull aimed a stroke, as in 
that case the animal invariably jumped over their 
bodies. It is asserted that bulls in charging always 
close their eyes, thus missing in blind precipitancy 
many excellent opportunities for avenging the out¬ 
rages perpetrated on their race. Not so the cows, 
who are said to keep their eyes fully open when they 
are bent on mischief, seldom if ever turning from their 
intended victim without leaving some mark, of either 
horn or hoof, in token of displeasure. 

On one occasion our leader himself very narrowly 
escaped from one of these infuriate feminalities in 
spite of his ability in dealing with wild cattle, and his 
dexterity in avoiding their attacks. We had just en¬ 
tered the majada , and were making preparations for 
the coming frolic. We stood under the shade of a 
splendid matapalo or wild fig-tree growing within 
the great enclosure, when a cow, which had left her 
young behind while chased in the savanna, feeling 
rather uneasy in consequence, cleared the fence of the 
pen wherein she was confined, and the next moment 
was among us. All retreated to the fences, excepting 
our leader, who, ever rather sensitive about turning 
his back upon an enemy, stood his ground somewhat 


BRANDING SCENES. 


247 


protected by the stout body of the tree. The cow at 
first appeared to pay but little attention to him, mak¬ 
ing straight for the gatje of the majada , which she. 
unfortunately, found strongly barred against her 
escape. Then retracing her steps, she sought to 
avenge her evident disappointment upon the gentle¬ 
man in white, whom she very well recollected having 
left at the foot of the old matapalo. Still the un¬ 
daunted soldier, although repeatedly urged by his 
men to fly, scorned the idea of seeking the talan- 
quera , or, in other words, climbing the fence in a 
hurry, thinking at first to avoid the enemy by step¬ 
ping round and round the tree ; but the cow was too 
cunning to be cheated in this manner. After thus 
chasing him in vain for a few minutes, she suddenly 
changed her course, seeking him in the opposite di¬ 
rection, which brought them face to face. Unfortu¬ 
nately, the General, who had that morning been sitting 
for his likeness in the full costume of the Llanos which 
he still wore, found himself rather embarrassed in his 
movements by the wide folds of the manta . This 
prevented him from drawing the sword he had re¬ 
tained, which was his first impulse ; and he therefore 
retreated a few paces into a more open space where 
he could torear her until others came to his assistance. 
"With the subtlety of her sex the cow at once perceived 
his intentions, and rapidly following his every move¬ 
ment, watched her opportunity to strike him on the 
side; but he, precisely at the right instant, with great 
presence of mind threw himself flat upon the ground 
j ust as she aimed the blow. Instead, however, of j limp¬ 
ing over him, as is usual with bulls in similar cases, the 


248 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


cow rushed upon him, when his adroitness in grasping 
one of her fore feet so firmly as to arrest further at¬ 
tack until others came to lii$ relief, prevented any in¬ 
jury beyond a slight scratch on his side and tearing 
his manta . 

It is needless to add that after so disrespectful an 
assault upon the revered person of our leader, the 
cow received no gentle treatment at the hands of the 
indignant vaqueros: some were for despatching her 
at once for their evening meal; others, for affixing a 
dry hide to the end of her tail and letting her loose 
over the plain ; while a few, compassionating her ig¬ 
norance, among them the aggrieved owner, were 
only for depriving her of the means of doing further 
mischief with the horns. This opinion prevailing at 
last over all others, the ruthless hand of the* execu¬ 
tioner at once applied the paw to the pride of her 
head, after which she was allowed to depart in peace. 
Thus ended a short, hut not altogether inglorious 
struggle, which, but for the cunning and address dis¬ 
played on both sides, might have terminated fatally 
to either of the parties engaged in it. 

After the corralejas had been emptied of their 
contents, there still remained in the maja'da several 
bulls at large, which had escaped during the confu¬ 
sion ; and many of these not yet having been oper¬ 
ated upon, another most exciting chase was afforded 
to the indefatigable and athletic hunters. The nar¬ 
rowness of the field, however, which precluded the 
use of horses, and the fact that each bull required to 
be captured with the lazo, occasioned serious obsta- 


BRANDING SCENES. 


249 


cles and much risk to the men engaged therein. Lack 
of volunteers there was none, and among them a pow¬ 
erful red-haired zambo r which freak of nature had ob¬ 
tained for him the sobriquet of Colorado —the red man. 

This fellow enjoyed a wide reputation in the 
country for his exploits, both in field and corral, and 
on this occasion proved himself deserving of the fame 
which he had heretofore achieved. It was he who 
now first led the charge. Seizing a lazo of long di¬ 
mensions, contrary to usual practice, he proceeded to 
coil it on his right hand, securing the end upon his 
left. Then, cautiously approaching a formidable 
black bull, which stood alone in the centre of the 
i majada , he sent the whole lazo, noose and all, uncoil¬ 
ing like a snake through the air until it reached the 
animal’s head. Although the distance must have 
been thirty paces, we had the satisfaction of seeing 
the noose settle round his neck as truly as if placed 
there by the practised hand of a hangman. From 
this moment, Colorado was unanimously proclaimed 
master of the lazo, an honor which he enjoyed to the 
end of the performances, as all that remained in this 
case to be accomplished by the others was merely to 
pull the lazo in order to bring the bull up to the 
botalon’or upright post, which served the double 
purpose of subduing stake for the bulls, and training 
post for the boys. To it one or more young bulls 
were usually brought at the end of the day’s work, 
and the boys compelled to mount them in the manner 
described in a previous chapter; the animals are then 
set loose amidst the crowd of assembled quadrupeds, 
which are evidently amazed at the singular spectacle. 



*We witnessed several exhibitions of the kind in 
the majada\ whenever we were present at the brand¬ 
ing of the cattle ; but never do I recollect any serious 
accident occurring to the little riders. Thus it is that 
the Llaneros educate their boys from infancy to the 
severest exercises of their profession, so that they in 
turn may teach the same to their own children. 

Not always, however, is the Llanero’s triumph 
over the brute creation obtained so easily, for many 
are the instances in which the latter gain the advan¬ 
tage in these hand-to-horn combats, and in such cases 
the evil resulting is very great. Sometimes the men 
are dreadfully lacerated, either by the horns or the 
sharp hoofs of their antagonists, frequently losing 
their lives in consequence, from want of proper medi¬ 
cal treatment at the time the wounds are inflicted. 
The most common phase the disease assumes is that 
of tetanus or lock-jaw, which sometimes ensues from 
only a slight scratch on the tendinous part of the foot. 
From the scarcity of surgeons in the country, and the 
lack of skill in dressing these wounds, mortification, 
aneurisms, malignant abscesses, and a variety of other 




















BRANDING SCENES. 


251 


complaints are amongst the evils resulting from this 
otherwise entertaining sport. In spite of all our pre¬ 
cautions, and the assistance of the surgeon, Dr. Gal¬ 
legos, we lost three of our best men, and several 
others afterward died in consequence of injuries re¬ 
ceived during that expedition. 


CHAPTER XV. 


PLANTS AND SNAKES. 

The wide extent of the savannas composing this 
cattle farm, and the dispersion of the herds through¬ 
out them, compelled ns to remove our quarters to a 
more central point, from whence we could sally forth 
in their pursuit. Orders were issued accordingly for 
the men to be in readiness, and the next morning we 
quitted with regret our comfortable quarters at the 
majordomo’s mansion and started for Mata-Gorda, 
one of those delightful primeval groves which dot the 
prairies here and there. 

Some idea of the extent of this huge farm may be 
gathered from the fact that one may start .at a gallop 
early in the morning from one end of the savannas 
and not reach the other until late at night of the same 
day. Its area would measure at least eighty square 
leagues, or about one hundred and fifty thousand acres 
of the richest land, but which under the present back¬ 
ward and revolutionary state of the country is com¬ 
paratively valueless to its owner. The number of 


PLANTS AND SNAKES. 


258 


cattle dispersed throughout the length and breadth 
of this wide extent of prairie land was computed to 
be about a hundred thousand heads, and, at one 
time, ten thousand horses ; but what with the peste , 
revolutionary exactions, and skin hunters, compara¬ 
tively very few of the former and none of the latter 
have been left. 

Our first, occupation on arriving at the Mata was 
to set up a hasty ranch for the protection of our ac¬ 
coutrements and baggage, a structure which required 
little labor or expense, the graceful palms affording 
the best kind of thatch for the roof, and the surround¬ 
ing woods sufficient posts and rafters for the frame¬ 
work. A convenient apartment was provided in it 
for the hammocks of our Leader and worthy Surgeon, 
while the rest of us were compelled to seek accommo¬ 
dations among the trunks and branches of the trees. 

These arrangements completed, the necessary tim¬ 
ber was next cut for the corrals to be erected for en¬ 
closing the* coming herds, a work to which the hunters 
devoted themselves, while I found greater attractions 
in my daily explorations through the tangled forest. 
The beautiful palms there claimed my most particular 
attention. Apart from the splendor of their growth 
and other peculiarities to which I have already al¬ 
luded in a former chapter, they are sufficient in them¬ 
selves to supply many of the domestic and economic 
wants of man in a primitive state. 

I also observed here many useful species of the 
extensive family of leguminous plants, such as the 
canafistula , (Cathartocarpus,) of which there were 
several varieties, all of them beautiful timber trees, 


254 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


whose pods, two feet long, were filled with a black 
gummy substance possessing very medicinal proper¬ 
ties. In a natural form it affords one of the mildest 
and most agreeable cathartics. Belonging to the 
same family, the caro, masaguaro , and saman aca¬ 
cias can scarcely be rivalled in durability by any 
other production of the vegetable world. Their pods 
also contain a large proportion of a similar gummy 
substance which cattle devour greedily, and which 
fattens them better than any other kind of fodder. 

The malagueta pepper, or donkey-bean, ( TJvaria 
febrifugal) an excellent febrifuge and antispasmodic, 
also grows here in the greatest abundance. Its aro¬ 
matic seeds are carefully preserved in the tobacco 
bladder of every Llanero, along with the tubers of the 
snake root, (Aristolochia bulbosa) a plant possessing 
the same virtues, and withal the best antidote against 
the bite of serpents. 

Several other medicinal plants, such as the stately 
mora , the wild sour-sop, and the mapurite , are also 
met with here; the last owes its name to the pecu¬ 
liar odor, not unlike that of the skunk, which per¬ 
vades the whole plant, rendering it any thing but 
acceptable in the neighborhood of an encampment. 

Of wild fruits there was also a fine array, and 
among them the most delicious of all, in my opinion, 
is the manirito , (Anona muricata,) a fruit scarcely 
known to horticulture, and still less to the listless in¬ 
habitant of the country where it grows in w T ild lux¬ 
uriance ; as no one there has yet thought of bringing 
it under cultivation. This plant, which belongs to 
the same family as do several of the most celebrated 


PLANTS AND SNAKES. 


255 


fruit trees of the tropics—the various kinds of custard 
apples and the delicious cherimoyer—attains a height 
of ten feet, and at the season of maturity, actually 
bends to the ground beneath its sweet load. Unfor¬ 
tunately it all ripens at once, so that in a few days 
the whole crop disappears. This fruit, like its con¬ 
gener the sour-sop, is covered with soft prickles. The 
inside, a sweet and highly aromatic pulp, is filled with 
small seeds, which, when the fruit is eaten in large 
quantities, as is generally the case, are apt to produce 
dangerous strictures. The whole plant is exceedingly 
fragrant; and by rubbing the leaves between the 
hands, they emit a delightful aroma, not unlike that 
of new mown hay. 

Another pleasant fruit, that I here met also for 
the first time, was the wild madrona , of the size of a 
lemon, which it also resembles in shape and color. It 
is filled with a most agreeable sub-acid pulp; this 
envelops three or four large nuts, not unlike cacao- 
beans, and tastes very much like strawberries. The 
tree producing this delicious fruit attains a height of 
twenty feet. The foliage is very dense, with coria¬ 
ceous leaves ten inches long, of a brilliant green. A 
thick yellow resin, resembling gamboge, exudes from 
every part of the tree when wounded ; but wdiether it 
has been found useful for any particular purpose, I 
was unable to ascertain. 

Somewhat similar to the latter, although growing 
upon a plant of an entirely different nature, is the 
cacaita , or monkey cacao-bean, a soft and rather in¬ 
sipid fruit, the production of a vine, which monkeys 
devour greedily. 


256 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


By far the largest proportion of the trees were 
several species of guamos (Inga lucida) and others of 
the same order of leguminous plants, bearing pods 
eight or ten inches long; these are filled with a row 
of black beans, enveloped in a snowy white and sweet¬ 
ish pulp, most agreeable to the taste. The ripening 
season of this mild and wholesome fruit was just com¬ 
mencing, and every day we gathered and consumed 
quantities-of it. 

Another pod-bearing tree of great utility proper 
to that region is the algarrobo , (Hymenea curbari!,) 
the locust tree of the New "World, which bears a thick 
ligneous pod containing several hard, brown, and 
rounded beans. These are surrounded by a sweet fari¬ 
naceous substance, possessing great alimentary prop¬ 
erties. A fragrant resin exudes from the pericarp of 
the pods, which, on being burned, yields a perfume 
similar to the odor of frankincense combined with 
that of balsam of Tolu. 

I had almost forgotten to mention, among the 
agreeable fruits of these parts, several kinds of wild 
guavas, from the tiny Array an, scarcely distinguish¬ 
able among the tufts of grass by which it is sur¬ 
rounded, to the beautiful paujil shrub, bearing in 
great profusion quantities of brilliant scarlet, highly 
perfumed and acidulous fruits. The berry of the 
former exactly resembles Jamaica allspice in shape; 
is quite sweet, and possesses in a high degree the ex¬ 
quisite flavor and aroma of the myrtle tribe, to which 
indeed all these plants belong. 

Great care was necessary in selecting spits for 
roasting the beef, on account of a most poisonous 


PLANTS AND SNAKES. 


257 


shrub, the deadly guachamacd , abounding there. It 
belongs to the extensive family of Apocinese or Dog¬ 
banes, whose poisonous, qualities are known all over 
the world. So virulent is this poison, that meat 
roasted on spits made from the guachamaca, absorbs 
sufficient poison to destroy all who partake of it. The 
lazy Indians make use of it to kill without trouble the 
cranes and herons on the borders of lagoons. For 
this they procure a number of sardines, besmear them 
with the juice of the plant, and spread them along 
the places frequented by those birds. The moment 
one of them seizes the fish, and before it is fairly swal¬ 
lowed, the bird drops dead ; then the indolent hunter, 
issuing from his hiding-place, cuts oft* the part's affect¬ 
ed by the poison, usually the head and neck, and 
feels no scruple in eating the remainder. 

A dreadful case of poisoning by means of this 
plant had just occurred at Nutrias, soon after our ar¬ 
rival on the Apure, which created for a time great 
excitement even amidst that scattered population. A 
woman who lived with a man in the vicinity of that 
town became jealous of the attentions he bestowed 
upon a charming neighbor of theirs, and determined 
to avenge herself, but in some manner that would not 
excite suspicion. In those remote regions where coro¬ 
ners and chemists are unknown, it is impossible to 
detect murder except where marks of external vio¬ 
lence are visible. Accordingly, she prepared for her 
lover a bowl of masato , a favorite beverage of the 
country, made of Indian corn boiled, mashed in water, 
and fermented ; in this she soaked chips of the poison¬ 
ous plant and offered it to him with smiling grace. 


258 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Delighted at sight of the tempting bowl, the unsus¬ 
pecting lover invited several of his neighbors—among 
them the hated rival—to share it with him. The 
woman, not intending to destroy any but her perfid¬ 
ious lover, during his absence prepared another bowl, 
omitting this time the poison. Llanero politeness 
obliged the host, however, to mix his portion with 
the others, which having done, he invited the com¬ 
pany to dip their calabash cups into the bowl. Out 
of eleven persons there assembled, among them sev¬ 
eral children, not one escaped except the wicked per¬ 
petrator of this wholesale murder ; nor even the don¬ 
keys and fowl of the household, as their attentive 
master had thrown them the remains of the deadly 
mixture. 

Such is the dread in which the Llaneros hold this 
plant, that I was not even permitted to preserve the 
specimens of fruit and flowers I had collected, with 
the object of ascertaining, on my return to the Val¬ 
leys, the botanical characters of the species. They 
almost threatened to desert, if I insisted upon carry¬ 
ing the leaves among the baggage. 

The propagation of this plant throughout the 
Apure appears to be of recent origin, none of the 
oldest inhabitants recollecting to have met with it 
until within comparatively a short period. 

The men had no small trouble in clearing our 
camp of many noxious reptiles; and it became our 
regular afternoon business to hunt for snakes. We 
succeeded in killing a great number in the vicinity of 
the ranch, some very poisonous, while others were 


PLANTS AND SNAKES. 


259 


quite harmless ; of the latter class I found two species 
of coral snakes, against which an unjust prejudice ex¬ 
ists, that they are among the most poisonous. Of the 
former, the matacaballo is the most to be feared. Al¬ 
though scarcely larger than a good-sized earthworm, 
his bite is nevertheless almost instantaneously fatal to 
man and beast. Unlike his other sluggish and torpid 
congeners, this little snake is the more dangerous be¬ 
cause always on the alert. The tramp of a horse, 
especially, never fails in rousing them, against which 
noble animal they evince an inveterate rancor. I was 
once occupied in sketching one of these snakes, which 
I had permitted to live for the purpose, and I observed 
that whenever a horse approached us, the snake rap¬ 
idly turned his head in the direction of the sound, 
seeming as if anxious to strike the animal with his 
fangs ; but as I had fortunately taken the precaution 
of disabling him by partially breaking his spine, he 
could make 'but little progress toward the object of 
his dislike. 

The tendinous part between the hoof and ankle- 
joint of the horse being nearest the ground, is conse¬ 
quently most exposed to the bite of the matacaballo ; 
and although the distance from the ankle to the heart 
is very great, it not unfrequently happens that the 
animal drops as if touched by the electric spark, from 
which fact I infer that this poison acts on the nervous 
system as well as on the blood. Horned cattle and 
pigs are fortunately shielded by the thickness of their 
skin from the fangs of this destroyer, which cannot 
penetrate it. Hence this snake has been termed, jpav 
excellence , matacaballo, literally horse-killer. 


260 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 



It was at one time extremely dangerous to drive 
horses across- the banks of these savannas where 
snakes are always most abundant; their numbers, 
however, have been considerably diminished since 
the immense multiplication of pigs in those re¬ 
gions. 

Horses have there also another dangerous enemy—* 
a great hairy spider or species of the tarantula ; this 
inflicts a very poisonous and painful sting just above 
the hoof, which in time drops off, although it is never 
followed by death. 

But among all these evil creatures, there is none 
so disgusting or so dangerous as the rattlesnake. The 
virulence of its poison, and the great size attained by 
some, renders them the terror of every man and beast 
where they abound. Fortunately for mankind, they 
have been provided by an ever-watchful Providence 
with what is termed a rattle; this is composed of a 
number of horny rings placed at the end of the tail, 


PLANTS AND SNAKES. 


261 


which, on being shaken, produce a peculiar sound, 
and serve as warning. It is said that Nature every 
year adds one of these rings, thus marking the age of 
the reptile. From its loathsome body is exhaled a 
strong odor, somewhat resembling musk, in itself 
sufficient to warn the most careless, as it is per¬ 
ceptible at the distance of a hundred feet. The head 
is peculiarly flat and broad, and the eyes sparkle in 
the darkness like specks of tire. The mouth is a 
ghastly aperture, whence issues a black and forked 
tongue, which the reptile moves incessantly when 
irritated. Two long fangs, curved inwardly, project 
in front of the upper jaw, and through them the 
fatal venom is discharged. The poison is secreted 
from two glands in the form of small bags at the 
root of the fangs, admirably adapted for the pur¬ 
pose, being hollow inside throughout their whole 
length, and by their pressure against the glands pro¬ 
duced by the act of biting, the liquid is ejected into 
the wound. .Fortunately, this snake is the slowest in 
its motions, and the most torpid of its kind, otherwise 
the mischief done by them would be much greater, 
they being very abundant also in the Llanos. Their 
favorite haunts are the hollow trunks of decayed trees 
and deep fissures in the ground. Occasionally they 
are found coiled among thick clumps of grass, which 
shelter them from the glaring sun ; but they are 
always ready to strike any intruder. At night they 
issue forth in quest of game, returning again to their 
hiding-places before sunrise. 

In addition to the foregoing, there are several 
other kinds in the Apure; among the harmless ones 


262 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


the sabanera is very abundant in the savannas, from 
which it is named. Some of these are ten feet long, 
and occasionally even more. They glide over the 
ground with astonishing rapidity, making all varieties 
of contortions with their bodies, the forward part of 
which they keep all the while raised in a vertical po¬ 
sition. These snakes are very useful, as they destroy 
all the poisonous kinds they encounter. 

The beautiful coral snake, with alternate rings of 
red, black, and white, is occasionally seen in the vicin¬ 
ity of ant-holes. Most persons attribute to it very 
poisonous qualities; but I have examined its mouth 
carefully and found there no fangs, nor any of the 



PLANTS AND SNAKES. 


263 


In the same category is placed another inoffensive 
reptile, a cecilia, emphatically styled culebra de dos 
cabezas , or two-headed snake—so named on account 
of having both ends of its body of equal thickness, 
while the eyes are almost invisible. It seems the con¬ 
necting link between snakes and earthworms, partak¬ 
ing of the nature of both, is about a foot long, and 
rather disproportionately thick for its length, wdiile 
its body is covered with minute scales. As this snake 
has the power of moving backward or forward with 
equal facility, it is supposed by many to be actually 
possessed of two heads. There is abundant nourish¬ 
ment for it in the ant nests which it frequents, hut it 
feeds also on earthworms, and the larvae of insects, 
pursuing them with unrelenting perseverance through 
the ground. The double motion of this reptile, its 
great muscular powers and flexibility enable it to 
penetrate the deepest recesses of a colony of ants, and 
to pierce the earth with wonderful expedition in 
search of prey. 

ANTIDOTES. 

Several antidotes are recommended for the venom¬ 
ous bite of snakes; some of them possess real alexi- 
pharmic virtues, as the raiz de mato , to which I 
have already alluded under the name of Aristolocbia 
bulbosa, and the guaco , (Mikania Guaco,) a compo¬ 
site plant which the learned Mutis has rendered so 
celebrated through the instrumentality of Humboldt; 
the others, however, are nothing more than supersti¬ 
tious imaginings, which see in the tooth of a crocodile 
extracted on Good Friday, or in some unmeaning 


264 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


orison whispered in the sufferer’s ear, greater powers 
than in all the resources of medical science. Yet 
such is the leaning of the benighted children of Na¬ 
ture in these regions toward the supernatural, that 
they always give the preference to whatever savors 
most of the miraculous. Somewhat of this has doubt¬ 
less arisen from the mistaken idea that all snakes are 
poisonous. Thus if it so happen that the incantation 
is whispered over a person who recovers, having been 
bitten by a harmless snake, his cure is of course at¬ 
tributed to magic, which is accordingly proclaimed a 
sovereign remedy for all similar cases in future. Saint 
Paul, as I have already mentioned, possesses not only 
the power of arresting the fatal spring of a snake, if 
invoked in time, but can also neutralize the poison, 
even when it is circulating through the veins. Not¬ 
withstanding my want of faith in the intervention of 
the saint in question, I confess myself to have been 
on an occasion extremely puzzled by one of these 
cherished superstitions, the famous Oration de San 
Pablo , and up to this period have not been able to 
account for it in a manner satisfactory to my common 
sense. As we were one afternoon driving home a 
herd of cattle, the majordomo’s horse was bitten by a 
matacaballo , when at a short distance from the ranch. 
The rider observed his sudden start, and at once men¬ 
tioned the cause thereof. The ground, overgrown 
with grass, was diligently searched, and the snake dis¬ 
covered and killed on the very spot pointed out by 
the majordomo, who in the mean time had hastened 
forward with his horse to the ranch, knowing that the 
strength of the poor animal would soon give way. 


PLANTS AND SNAKES. 


265 


Scarcely had he alighted when*his horse, covered with 
a cold sweat, dropped to the ground. A curandero 
or snake doctor immediately presented himself and 
commenced a series of incantations over the prostrate 
animal, which it was supposed would soon counter¬ 
act the poison. I was anxious to administer spirits 
of hartshorn, a well-authenticated remedy for such 
cases, hut the Llaneros opposed this resolutely, on the 
ground that it would interfere with their own. The 
Oration was accordingly whispered in the horse’s ear 
and the patient then removed to a convenient pasture, 
where he could find abundant feed if fate ever restored 
his appetite. Here he was left, rolling upon the 
ground and moaning piteously, while I was positively 
assured by the men that in the course of two hours, at 
most, he would be completely restored, and my scep¬ 
ticism confounded. Singularly enough, the remedy 
acted in this case like a real charm ; at the appointed 
time the horse started to his feet and commenced 
browsing the grass around him with as much gusto 
as if he had experienced no ailment whatsoever. 
Whether the venom of the snake was not, in this in¬ 
stance, strong enough to kill the horse; or, what is 
more probable, the reptile’s fang might not have pen¬ 
etrated deep enough, are questions which cannot be 
decided, but shortly afterward the same horse, a 
beautiful but wild and vicious young stallion, came 
very near kicking to death the curandero who restored 
him to health. 

The Llaneros are not, however, the only people in 
the country who have faith in these miraculous cures. 
It is more or less entertained throughout the country 
12 


266 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


by persons more enlightened in other respects than 
they. It is asserted of a famous curandero in the 
Yalleys of Aragua, that in extreme cases, if prevented 
from going in person to the patient, it was only neces¬ 
sary to send his hat! By placing this talisman on 
the injured.man’s head, it would not only afford im¬ 
mediate relief, but arrest the progress of the venom 
until the owner could come himself to perfect the 
cure. 

Another singular practice obtains among Llaneros; 
it is that of inoculation with the juice of certain plants 
possessing alexipharmic virtues, after which the most 
poisonous snakes may be handled with impunity. It 
is asserted, moreover, that cerrados —as individuals 
thus inoculated are termed—are not only proof against 
the bite of these reptiles, but can attract them around 
their persons by merely clapping of hands or whis¬ 
tling for them in fields where they abound. Having 
never witnessed any of these experiments, I will 
neither undertake to uphold the truth of this asser¬ 
tion, nor will I question its veracity; but there are 
hundreds of reliable persons in the country who will 
unhesitatingly swear to its efficacy; among them, is 
the testimony of Dr. Benites, a professional gentleman 
who has published the result of his experiments in a 
small book on the Materia Medica of the country. 
With the view of ascertaining the alleged properties 
of the guaco he devoted a great portion of his time 
while at La Yictoria in experimenting with various 
kinds of snakes ; from him I quote the following pas¬ 
sage : “ The guaco possesses in a high degree the 


PLANTS AND SNAKES. 


267 


faculty of preserving man and animals in general 
from the terrible and fatal effects of the bites of ser¬ 
pents. This valuable secret, discovered in Bogota by 
the celebrated naturalist, Don Celestino Mutis, in 
1788, remains still as such among some curanderos 
of our own country, who, under certain mysterious 
forms, and availing themselves of the fangs of ser¬ 
pents, puncture several slight incisions in certain 
parts of the body, which they fill With the powdered 
leaves of the guaco previously made dry, and admin¬ 
ister the same internally mixed in common rum. 
This property of the guaco is so reliable, inoculation 
by means of the juice such as was practised by Mutis 
himself so well authenticated, and the facts concern¬ 
ing it so well attested, that there cannot longer exist 
the least doubt in regard to its efficacy. I wished to 
convince myself by actual experiment, and can testify 
that in a thousand trials of inoculation practised by 
myself in different ways on patients whom I allowed 
to be bitten by various kinds of snakes, I never knew 
one to fail. Suffice it to say that the principal amuse¬ 
ment of children in this place is to catch, carry about 
and play with snakes, and that even young ladies 
keep them in their bosoms or coil them around their 
necks.” 

It appears, nevertheless, absolutely necessary to 
renew the inoculation at different epochs of a man’s 
life, as in the case of vaccination it loses its power 
after a time. It was no doubt owing to his neglect 
of the rule, that a gentleman in the town of Ocumare 
some years ago fell a victim to his blind confidence 
in this sort of inoculation. Don N. Ugarte had kept 


268 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


a rattlesnake in a drawer during four years ; witli it 
he occasionally amused himself, no more harm result¬ 
ing therefrom than if it had been a kitten. One day 
on returning home from his rounds in the plantation, 
he felt in the humor of playing a little with his old 
pet, and accordingly took him out of his berth and 
placed him upon the writing desk before him. One 
of the children who had also been inoculated happen¬ 
ing to be near, the father suggested that he should 
kiss the' reptile ; to this, the child objected very de¬ 
cidedly ; the foolish parent, however, insisting, the 
mother interfered and begged that her child should 
not be compelled to touch the loathsome creature; 
whereupon the father exclaimed : “ How foolish you 
are! I will show you how it kisses me. How, then, 
pet, give me a kiss ; ” and so saying, he leaned for¬ 
ward toward the snake; true to its instincts, the 
reptile sprang to his lips and implanted such a kiss 
that its master never recovered from the effects. Both 
fangs of the snake went quite through his upper lip, 
and he at once felt himself to be mortally wounded. 
A physician was sent for without delay, but he ex¬ 
pired before assistance could reach him. 

The guaco is employed, moreover, in various other 
disorders of the system with great success. In chronic 
rheumatism it is an invaluable remedy both in the 
form of poultices made of the fresh leaves, or by sim¬ 
ply rubbing the part affected with a decoction of the 
plant in spirits, and taking internally one or two 
ounces of the expressed juice, morning and evening. 
Administered in the latter form it is an efficacious 
remedy against hydrophobia, if given immediately 


PLANTS AND SNAKES. 


269 


after the person has been 
bitten by a mad dog. Gen¬ 
eral Paez was thus saved, 
w T hen a youth, from this 
dreadful scourge of tropical 
countries ; he has neverthe¬ 
less retained in after life 
some evil effects of the 
virus still in his system^ 
manifesting itself in a ten¬ 
dency to severe spasmodic 
affections, especially at 
sight of a snake, which 
invariably induces violent 
convulsions. 

Next to the guaco in 
importance as an alexiphar- 
mic, may be classed the 
raiz de mato , including 
several varieties of Aristo- 
lochias, the roots of which 
are intensely bitter. As 
its name implies, it is said 
to afford the mato —a large 
species of lizard—a prompt 
antidote against the bite 
of his old antagonist, the 
snake. There would seem 
to exist some ancient 
grudge between these two 
reptiles, many persons as¬ 
serting that whenever they 



ABISTOLOCHIA APUBENSIS. —Natttoal Sizb. 


270 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


come in sight of one another, they instantly rush to the 
attack, the mato never failing to overcome his rival 
by his superior botanical knowledge; this, or his in¬ 
stinct, prompts him to seek the plant, and swallowing 
some of the leaves, returns recuperated to the fight.* 

To the facts adduced above, I now have the pleas¬ 
ure of adding the testimony of such an authority as 
G-osse, who has devoted an entire chapter of his truly 
romantic book f to the consideration of a subject 
“ well worthy of minute investigation by able and un¬ 
prejudiced men of science, willing to receive unscien¬ 
tific information and suggestions, in various parts of the 
world, particularly in the intertropical regions of both 
hemispheres.” Among the many well-authenticated 
incidents recorded by him, I select the following as 
bearing a striking similarity to the one just mentioned : 
“ Some animals, especially those which prey upon 
serpents, seem to be proof against their bites. The 
ichneumons, or mangoustes of Africa and Asia, have 
long been celebrated for their immunity, and veritable 
stories have been narrated of their having recourse to 
some herb, when bitten, after which they successfully 
renewed the attack. Percival, in his account of Cey- 

* Dr. Lindley, speaking of the properties of Aristolochias in gen¬ 
eral, and more especially of A. serpentaria—a North American species 
—observes: “ As its name implies, it is used as an antidote to serpent 
bites, a quality in which several other species participate, among which 
may be mentioned A. trilobata, a Jamaica plant, also employed as a 
sudden and powerful sudorific; and the Cartagena A unguicida, concern¬ 
ing which Jaquin writes, that the juice of the root, chewed and intro¬ 
duced into the mouth of a serpent, so stupefies it that it may for a long 
time be handled with impunity ; if the reptile is compelled to swallow 
a few drops, it perishes in convulsions .”—Vegetable Kingdom. 

\ The Romance of Natural History—Second Series, chap. ix. 


PLANTS AND SNAKES. 


271 


Ion, relates that a mangouste placed in a close room 
where a venomous serpent was, instead of darting at 
it, as he would ordinarily have done, ran peeping 
about, anxiously seeking some way of escape ; hut 
finding none, it returned to its master, crept into his 
bosom, and could by no means be persuaded to face the 
snake. When, however, both were removed out of the 
house into the open field, the maugouste instantly 
flew at the serpent, and soon destroyed it. After the 
combat the little quadruped suddenly disappeared for 
a few minutes, and again returned. Percival con¬ 
cludes, not unreasonably, that during its absence it 
had found the antidotal herb, and eaten of it. The 
natives state that the maugouste resorts on such oc¬ 
casions to the Ophiorhiza mungos , whose root is re¬ 
puted a specific for serpent-bites. This is a cincho- 
naceous plant, so intensely bitter that it is called by 
the Malays by a name which signifies earth-gall.” 

How wonderful the provisions of bountiful Nature 
are ; and still more singular the readiness of the hu¬ 
man intellect, whether in a rude or a cultivated state, 
to make them subservient to its wants ! The most 
extraordinary antidote against the bite of serpents 
yet within my knowledge, is the one employed on the 
coast of Cartagena, not the “ earth-gall,” which they 
possess of the bitterest kind in Aristolochia unguicida, 
but the gall of the reptile itself, an alcoholic solution 
of which, administered to the patient in small doses, 
rubbing the wound with the same, or with spirits of 
ammonia, being sufficient to counteract the virus of 
the most deadly serpents of that region. 


CHAPTER XVI. 


TIGER S T.O R I E S. 

On the second night from our arrival at the Mata, 
just as most of our party in their hammocks were 
swinging off into dreamland, the ominous cry of. El 
Tigre !—the tiger—was heard in the direction of the 
camp fires, where a few of the men still lingered. As 
if lifted by a gust of the pampero, every man dropped 
from his aerial couch, and in an instant the whole 
camp became a scene of the wildest confusion. Fire¬ 
brands flew in every direction, by the uncertain glare 
of which we gained occasional glimpses of the jaguar, 
for such was the intruder, prowling near us like a 
huge cat. The horses snorted in terror, the men 
shouted vociferously, while our brave Monico com¬ 
menced drumming upon his pots and kettles as if 
they were so many gongs, with which in his capacity 
of cook he summoned us to dinner, creating such an 
uproar as drowned the voices of men and beasts, and 
was horrible enough to frighten away a legion of 
jaguars. The odor of the savory spits, at all hours 
faithful to their posts around the camp fires, had 


THE JAGUAR. 















TIGER STORIES. 


273 


doubtless proved the magnet of attraction to liis 
spotted majesty, who, probably disgusted with the 
style of his reception, made a precipitate retreat to 
his stronghold in the forest, growling indignation at 
our want of hospitality. 

Although among the natives he is commonly 
known by the name of the tiger, this animal is act¬ 
ually the jaguar or Felix Onza of naturalists, no real 
tigers existing in any part of America. It neverthe¬ 
less exerts the same tyranny over other animals as 
does the tiger or leopard in the hot regions of the Old 
World, differing from its congener principally in the 
form of the marks upon his skin, which in the jaguar 
of America are rounded or in rings, therein unlike the 
long stripes of the Bengal tiger. In another species 
common to the forests of Guayana, the skin is nearly 
black, the spots being invisible except in the broad 
sunlight. This is considered the most sanguinary and 
ferocious. Some jaguars attain a great size, measur¬ 
ing seven feet from the nose to the tail. They are 
sufficiently powerful to kill an ox or horse and drag 
them off over the highest fences. 

When the excitement occasioned by the intrusion 
of the nocturnal thief had subsided, few of us were 
inclined for sleep ; several of our men, therefore, who 
had been at different times active participators in 
similar adventures, volunteered entertaining us for 
the remainder of the night with some interesting 
stories concerning this lord of South American for¬ 
ests. From them I gathered many useful facts re¬ 
specting his habits and disposition, which I shall 
recount as nearly as possible verbatim. 


274 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Although, perhaps, the most powerful among wild 
beasts of this continent, the jaguar is by no means as 
terrible as might be supposed from the renown of his 
prowess. Occasionally when hard pressed by hunger 
he ventures within the precincts of man, robbing the 
corrals of the farmhouse of their defenceless inmates. 
Many instances are also related of his having attacked 
and carried oft* a solitary traveller to his lair in the 
W T oods ; but he usually evinces the profoundest respect 
for man unless driven to extremities, when he has 
been known to set at defiance the combined efforts of 
a host of men and dogs. When thus, by a too inti¬ 
mate acquaintance with the people and flocks of some 
particular community, he has gone so far as to levy 
blackmail upon them, the appellation of cebado —as in 
the case of the crocodile—is given to the jaguar. An 
animal of this description is said to possess wonderful 
daring and instinct, making him by far the most dan¬ 
gerous of the class, attacking not only tame animals 
in the corrals, but even individuals are frequently as¬ 
sailed and devoured by him. It is said also that when 
he has once tasted human blood, he becomes insatiable 
in his eagerness to procure this luxury. They are then 
so dangerous, that the owners of cattle farms usually 
call a meeting of all the hateros in the vicinity, capa¬ 
ble of handling lazo or lance—firearms being rarely 
used in expeditions of this kind—and with the assist¬ 
ance of a pack of well-trained hounds of a peculiar 
breed, called tigreros in consequence, they surround 
the wood supposed to harbor the tiger, and beating 
carefully about the jungle, drive him out into the open 
plain, where men on horseback are stationed ready to 


TIGER STORIES. 


275 


lazo the game as it breaks cover. To ensure success, 
it is only requisite that the horses be steady and well 
trained to the sport; and as the tiger, conscious of 
his danger, frequently refuses to quit the jungle, a 
number of daring matadors are also needed to drive 
him out or attack him in his lair, assisted in this by 
the dogs, which, by harassing him on all sides, divert 
him from the assailants. 

Jaguars were at one time so numerous in the 
Llanos, that their ravages upon the calves and young 
foals were truly frightful. This circumstance, in ad¬ 
dition to the value attached in other countries to 
their beautiful skins, have contributed to reduce the 
numbers very considerably, as whenever they make 
their appearance they are eagerly pursued. 

In its wild state the jaguar is an exceedingly beau¬ 
tiful animal; his motions particularly easy and gracer 
ful, and possessing wonderful agility in bounding 
among the trees and* tall grass of the savannas. 
When watching for prey, he generally crouches upon 
the ground, the fore paws stretched out, resting his 
head between them in a manner very similar to that 
of the domestic cat; and as he climbs trees with a 
facility almost equal to that of monkeys, these are in 
exceeding dread of him on that account. 

The haunts usually preferred by the jaguar appear 
to be swampy borders of marshes and lagoons over¬ 
grown with reeds and wild plantain, where, they are 
sure of finding plenty of game. Water hogs or capy- 
varas especially, are easy prey, as they cannot move 
except in short jumps. It is asserted that where these 
animals abound, there is little to be feared from the 


276 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


jaguar, which always prefers the wild animals of the 
field for food, becoming bolder and more dangerous 
to man in proportion as these disappear. 

My earliest recollection of the jaguar dates from 
the time when the famous town of Achaguas was 
head-quarters for the patriot army commanded by 
my father. I was a little fellow not more than three 
years of age, when a foraging party fell in with a 
tigress and her cub; the latter they secured and 
brought to Achaguas after a desperate struggle with 
the mother. The extreme beauty and youth of the 
captive soon gained the sympathies and favor of a 
host of admirers, especially those of the female de¬ 
partment, in the household of Colonel Mujica, who 
purchased it and consigned it to their care. Under 
their special protection and good treatment it quickly 
grew strong enough to take part in all squabbles 
among the dogs and cats of the family, which an¬ 
imals always form a prominent feature in all well- 
regulated Llanero establishments. At first the new 
pet was allowed the entire freedom of the premises, 
associating very readily with every stranger who vis¬ 
ited the house, and evincing none of the disagreeable 
traits ascribed to these animals. I, who participated 
in all its juvenile antics, and who supposed it to bo 
only a large cat, very soon became its favorite play¬ 
mate, until on one occasion it carried its pranks so 
far as to throw me down, at the same time tearing 
my clothing to rags with its claws. From this mo¬ 
ment it was considered expedient to chain up my 
playfellow, and accordingly he was secured to a pillar 


TIGER STORIES 


277 


in the corridor of the house. It is related of this fa¬ 
vorite, that having afterward broken its chain, it 
speedily found the way to the poultry yard where the 
Colonel kept his game chickens, not one of which was 
left to fight its battles over. For this unpardonable 
breach of discipline the young tiger received so sound 
a castigation as to cripple the poor fellow for life. ^ 

Numberless are the tricks recorded of the lame 
tiger of Colonel Mujica, they for a time constituting 
the principal amusement of those of the army who 
were in the habit of frequenting the Colonel’s quarters 
to while away their idle hours at the favorite game 
of monte. What finally became of my uncouth play¬ 
fellow, I am unable to state; the probability is that 
he, as well as most of the brave champions of that 
memorable epoch, is dead; at all events, they are 
buried .... in the dust of the past. 

In a solitary ranch, not far from San Jaime, there 
once lived a poor widow, who, out of compassion for 
a young cub which had been picked up by some va- 
queros undertook to raise it with the milk of her own 
goats, sheltering it at night from the damp under the 
folds of her bed, covering and treating the foundling 
with as much affection as though it were her child. 
In return, the little fellow became so attached to its 
adopted mother, that it could not endure a moment’s 
separation from her, and would lie like a cat by the 
fireside while she devoted herself to the occupations 
of the kitchen. As it grew older and stronger, the 
woman’s slender stock of goats was rapidly dimin¬ 
ished by its repeated depredations; it was therefore 


278 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


deemed prudent to give it wider range than the 
widow’s little farm-yard, and it was encouraged to 
seek for game in the neighboring woods. Whenever 
successful in these excursions, the intelligent creature 
invariably brought some home, and with seeming 
pride laid it at the feet of its benefactress. On one 
occasion, some of her neighbors having come to pass 
the day with her, she thought that as game was plen¬ 
tiful and easily obtained, she would spare such of her 
goats as had thus far escaped the teeth of her favorite, 
and, instead, procure with its assistance a supply of 
venison with which to treat her guests. Accordingly, 
leaving the hut in their charge, she and her efficient 
hunter started for the woods, proposing to be back in 
time to cook the dinner; but to the astonishment of 
her visitors, the dinner-hour arrived, then the night, 
hut no tidings of the hunters ; and up to this time, I 
believe, nothing ha§ been heard about either of the 
former tenants of the solitary ranch, although it is 
not difficult to imagine the poor widow’s fate. 

We had once in our employ a stout and powerful 
sambo, who on account of his name—Bolivar—and 
his great muscular development, had received the 
sobriquet of Bolivote, or big Bolivar. Great was his 
pride in possessing not only the same patronymic as 
the distinguished General of his name, but also some 
deep scars on his right arm, inflicted by the claws of 
a jaguar, which he improved every opportunity of 
displaying. 

Bolivote had been riding hard during a whole 
day, and feeling rather weary, sought repose under 


TIGER STORIES. 


279 


the shade of a clump of palm trees, allowing his horse 
meanwhile to crop the grass near by. He had lain 
down at the foot of a palm, and almost fallen asleep, 
when he was roused by a rustling of the leaves over¬ 
head, and looking up to ascertain the cause, beheld 
with astonishment a large jaguar in the act of spring¬ 
ing upon him. Ile^started to his feet, but was within 
the tiger’s grasp ere he could unsheath his sword. 
Without losing a moment he plunged his finger into 
one of the fiery eyeballs glaring upon him, and suc¬ 
ceeded in forcing it from its socket. The pain thus 
inflicted was so acute, that the tiger retreated with 
fearful yells; yet not before he had mangled with 
teeth and claws the sturdy arm which had punished 
him so severely. 

During our journey across the pampas, we were 
shown the spot where not long before a jaguar had 
attacked a woman. Her preservation, also, was due 
to presence of mind, and to the fact of being armed 
with a machete or cutlass, with which she had in¬ 
tended cutting a load of wood for domestic uses. 
The wood being near at hand, she was in the daily 
habit of fearlessly traversing the plain alone. On 
one occasion she went al monte, to the fields, as they 
say there, with the intention of collecting her usual 
load of fagots. Ho sooner did she commence break¬ 
ing the sticks, than a deep rumbling growl which 
seemed to shake the ground beneath her feet, almost 
paralyzed her movements. Although the sound was 
somewhat familiar, yet she never before had heard it 
so near at hand, and she was therefore instantly con- 


280 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


scious of her perilous situation. Knowing that an 
attempt at precipitate flight would only contribute to 
increase the anger of the tiger, she decided accord¬ 
ingly upon concealing herself and remaining perfectly 
quiet behind a large tree. Vain endeavor ! in a few 
moments a large jaguar glided from the tangled jun¬ 
gle and stood before the terrified woman, his eyes 
shooting fire, his open mouth parched with thirst of 
blood. At the dread sight she gave herself up for 
lost, and began reciting aloud a prayer to her patron 
saint, which the tiger answered with another fearful 
roar. The jaguar then commenced tearing up the 
roots of the nearest tree, looking the while like a huge 
cat sharpening his claws. Then gradually approach¬ 
ing the woman’s hiding-place until within a few yards, 
with a bound he cleared the space separating them, 
and alighted at the foot of the tree behind which she 
was sheltered. Without a moment’s loss, the woman 
aimed a blow with her machete , severing one of the 
paws which grasped the tree. This partly disabling 
him, he retreated a few paces ; but soon returning to 
the attack, received a second blow, this time on his 
head, with such good effect that he fell stunned upon 
the ground. It is needless to add that our heroine 
did not wait to see what might have been the final 
result of this blow, but springing from her hiding- 
place, she so belabored him with her machete as to 
completely spoil his skin for marketable purposes. 

Among the troop of idlers and adventurers always 
following the camp, we were favored at Mata Gorda 
with the company of a famous story teller of tho 


TIGER STORIES. 


281 


A pure, who, in wonderful encounters with wild 
beasts, and marvellous adventures, might almost 
rival the celebrated Baron Munchausen, or even the 
sailor of Arabian Nights celebrity. His real name 
w r as B.; but owing to his diminutive stature and 
cunning, he had been honored with the familiar ap¬ 
pellation of Tio Conejo .* Indeed, so small was he, 
that if we credit his statement, he was often mistaken 
for his own baby, usurping its place in the cradle for 
the purpose of enjoying the kisses and other petites 
caresses usually lavished by the female sex upon these 
tender innocents. Among the various incidents of 
his eventful life, he had, as a matter of course, some¬ 
thing to say concerning tigers. 

“ Once upon a time,” said our humorous compan¬ 
ion, “ I was by the banks of the river Uribante, and 
there had an opportunity of cheating Tio Tigre in 
his endeavors to make mince meat of my humble 
self. Returning one day from a successful fishing 
excursion, I was enjoying my usual siesta when El 
Tio made up his mind, as it seemed, to pay me an 
unexpected visit, doubtless with the intention of rob¬ 
bing me of the products of my industry, which I had 
dressed and salted a few minutes before. Happily I 
have for obvious reasons accustomed my eyes to 
keep alternate watch when camping out alone, as was 
the case in this instance, so that if approached by any 
evil-disposed individual, I am always able to avoid 

* To Tigre and Tio Conejo —Uncle Tiger and Uncle Rabbit. These 
arc the heroes of endless adventures, the mother’s never-failing source of 
amusement to her children, supposed to have taken place in the woods 
of Venezuela. 


282 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


danger through the watchfulness of the one on duty; 
when this sentinel becomes weary, I allow it to sleep 
and rouse its fellow. 

“ Well, Senores , as I have said already, one of my 
watchmen observing the tiger coming toward me, I 
sprang from my hammock with the intention of giv¬ 
ing him a warm reception ; but, luckily for the 
spotted vagabond, my cuchillo , which is always by 
my side, was left forgotten among the heap of fish I 
had been dressing. Thus cut off from my only means 
of defence, and observing near by an immense gourd 
of a size such as is rarely seen in these parts, I slipped 
into it just when Tio Tigre thought he had me.” 

The narrative was here interrupted by a sceptical 
individual from the audience insisting upon being en¬ 
lightened as to the precise dimensions of that gourd ; 
the reply was, “ Why, Sirs, here is nothing extraor¬ 
dinary. I have seen squashes at the foot of the Cor¬ 
dilleras, each of which would be a load sufficient for 
a bongo. I once lost a pack of mules during the 
night, and after searching for them around the base 
of what I supposed a hillock, I found the sagacious 
animals inside one of these squashes—for such was 
the seeming hillock—supping at leisure on the succu¬ 
lent pulp, having gnawed for themselves a passage to 
the interior. But to return to my story. The tiger, 
enraged at my sudden disappearance, commenced a 
deliberate attack with teeth and claws upon the tougli 
and slippery shell, with no other result than that of 
rolling the gourd with me in it further from him. 

“ It was hugely amusing to watch from my strong¬ 
hold the tactics of my assailant; at one moment 



























































THE PUMA. 












TIGER STORIES. 


283 


crouched a short distance off upon the ground, he 
would watch the mysterious object much as a cat 
watches a mouse; then with a sudden spring pounced 
again upon the gourd, thus causing it to roll before 
him like a ball. My only fear was, that the tiger in 
one of these furious onsets might precipitate me into 
the stream below. I was not then aware that water 
in deep rivers reaches no lower than the base of their 
steep banks, which act as support for the whole body 
of water above, thus leaving a clear expanse under¬ 
neath and the bed of the river entirely dry, a remark¬ 
able fact which I discovered on another occasion 
when diving in the Orinoco for a lost treasure belong¬ 
ing to the monks. 

“ That which I feared at last came to pass. The 
gourd, pushed by the tiger, fell spinning into the 
water, and I found myself sailing down the stream 
escorted by a band of hungry crocodiles, who 
watched me with eager eyes and open jaws, until 
my patron saint in the form of a humane porpoise 
came to my assistance, frightened off the ugly 
wretches, and receiving me on his back, landed me 
in safety on a desert shore, where, amigos , you will 
have to leave me for the present, as it is almost morn¬ 
ing, and we must sleep an hour or two before starting 
for the Rodeo.” 


THE PANTHER-TIGER. 

Although principally a sojourner in the more ele¬ 
vated parts of the country, the panther is occasion¬ 
ally seen descending toward the plains in search of 


284 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


the abundant fare of the pampas. He resembles the 
jaguar in many respects, and is called in consequence, 
t>gre de serrania , or mountain tiger. He is, however, 
easily distinguished from the former by the shape of 
his head, which in’ the panther is more acute toward 
the snout, while the spots on his skin are smaller and 
more closely set. 

The panther is by far the bolder and more san¬ 
guinary of the two ; he frequents the mountain passes, 
waylaying stray animals and solitary travellers; and 
there are many cases on record in which he has dis¬ 
played his bloodthirsty propensities by boldly seeking 
food even in the very haunts of man. 

Some of the mountain districts of Yenczuela are 
so infested with them, that few travellers ever ven¬ 
ture to journey alone there ; as, for instance, the mon- 
tana de Capaya, east of Caracas, and the Cerro de 
Aroa to the west, both famed for the number and 
boldness of these animals. Under cover of the dense 
forests with which those mountains are clothed to the 
very summit, they lie in w T ait. Hot long since, a 
traveller from the village of Aroa, finding the dis¬ 
tance greater than he had anticipated, w T as compelled 
to pass the night in the forest. Fearing the panthers, 
he slung his hammock between two palm trees as 
high as possible from the ground, hoping doubtless 
thereby to escape them, but his precautions proved 
of no avail; the poor traveller fell a prey to one of 
these sanguinary beasts. A few days after, a party 
of muleteers passing along the same route, found on 
the spot where the sad tragedy had been enacted, 
evidence of the bloody assault. Deep furrows 


TIGER STORIES. 


285 


ploughed in the ground between the palm trees, 
showed that the panther must have made frequent 
and tremendous leaps to reach the unfortunate travel¬ 
ler ; but with the exception of the torn hammock, 
there remained no vestige of the victim. 

My first vacation trip from the terrors of a South 
American school and the angry visage of a harsh pre¬ 
ceptor, is still fresh in my mind, as is also the fright 
I received upon the road from an imaginary panther 
while endeavoring to reach before daylight the near¬ 
est inn upon the route. 

The road from the capital to the Valleys of Ara- 
gua—our destination—lies for the most part over a 
high ridge of mountains with precipitous sides, inter¬ 
spersed here and there with deep ravines and almost 
impenetrable thickets of forest trees, fit lurking-places 
for wild beasts and banditti. The extreme steepness 
of the road renders the aid of mules, or horses of su¬ 
perior mettle, imperative, and for this exigency our 
attentive guides had well provided before leaving 
Caracas. 

The party was principally composed of young gen¬ 
tlemen and their attendants, all like myself bound to 
the fertile regions of Aragua, where we purposed pass¬ 
ing the holidays with our families; and a wilder set. 
of madcaps it would have been difficult to find. 
Every moment witnessed a malicious trick, some¬ 
times tickling the mules under the cruppers with 
whips, until, worried into frenzy, they plunged fear¬ 
fully along the road, placing us in danger of being 
hurled into eternity through the yawning chasms be- 


286 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


neatli. Sometimes jerking the tail of a neighbor’s 
mule, causing the animal to whirl so violently as to 
almost destroy its balance. Occasionally some of the 
party might be seen scrambling up the rugged side 
of a mountain after bright colored insects or wild 
berries. At length, the steepness of the ascent no 
longer permitting the continuance of our pranks, the 
guides entertained us with frightful stories of a tiger 
said to lurk in these mountains ; but chiefly with ac¬ 
counts of horrid murders perpetrated at various points 
along our route, which, judging from the many crosses 
and stone mounds raised to the victims by the piety 
of wayfarers, must have been truly appalling in num¬ 
ber. In those parts it is customary to mark the spot 
where a crime of the kind has been committed, with 
a wooden cross, at whose foot every passer-by casts 
a stone, muttering at the same time a prayer for the 
repose of the unshriven soul. One of these memorials 
was erected to a poor fellow, whose throat had been 
cut and body frightfully mutilated for a new poncho 
and a few reals. At another, a tiger had seized a 
wearied poultry carrier imprudently asleep by the 
side of his coop, and devoured him and his chickens. 
In another instance, the tiger appeared suddenly 
among a group of muleteers quietly refreshing them¬ 
selves by the murmuring waters of a mountain stream, 
and after scattering the affrighted group, helped him¬ 
self to their repast. 

These stories, told with great vivacity and much 
embellishment, excited in a high degree the fervid 
imaginations of the youthful cavalcade, causing them 
as night approached to keep close together. They, 
however, did not deter me, who had ever a peculiar 


TIGER STORIES. 


287 


fondness for the beautiful in nature, from loitering 
somewhat in the rear of my companion to gaze in 
wondering admiration upon the grandeur and wild 
luxuriance of the scene which on all sides met my 
eyes. Absorbed in contemplation I was riding slowly 
along, when suddenly, and to my great horror and 
dismay, I found myself in presence of, apparently, the 
dreaded tiger of the mountains. My imagination, 
roused by the exciting stories of the muleteers, showed 
me the spotted brute seated upon his haunches, his 
sinister eyes gazing steadily at me over his right 
shoulder. Notwithstanding this pacific attitude, a 
thrill of terror chilled my veins, while in spite of the 
cold prevailing on those mountain ranges, heavy 
drops of perspiration streamed from my trembling 
body. The tiger seeming spell-bound with my sud¬ 
den apparition, I endeavored to cry aloud for help ; 
but terror had deprived me of voice. I then con¬ 
cluded to dismount and place the mule between 
myself and the tiger, which impulse w T as suddenly 
checked as I caught sight of the yawning precipice 
beside me. I had therefore no alternative, other 
than the ignominious one of sliding down in the rear 
of my mule, a feat I rapidly accomplished without in 
the least inconveniencing the patient creature, which 
all the while stood quietly awaiting my pleasure. At 
this moment the moon, until then partially obscured 
by the dense fog, shone brilliantly upon the scene, 
when, to my great mortification and greater relief, I 
discovered that the ferocious tiger of my imagination 
was only the fallen branch of a tree covered with 
leaves, which last my fertile fancy had mistaken for 
the spotted skin of the dreaded mountain tiger. 


CHAPTER XVII. 


SHOOTING ADVENTURES. 

We were now in the very midst of the most splen¬ 
did shooting ground of the republic, and each day 
my quest after the feathered inhabitants of those fine 
groves was rewarded with an abundant supply of 
pavas , guacharacas , and that most noble and beauti¬ 
ful of all game birds, the paujl or crested curassow 
of South America, (Crax alector.) This fine species 
is found in all parts of the country, especially in the 
woods of the tierra caliente , where it can be tracked 
without difficulty by the shrill and prolonged whistle 
with which it calls its mate, and which can be heard 
from a long distance. It appears not to notice the 
presence of the hunter, allowing itself to be shot 
down without making the least effort to avoid the 
danger. This bird is nearly the same size as the do¬ 
mestic turkey, and being easily domesticated, could 
very well supply the place of that fowl, as the flesh is 
juicy and of exquisite flavor. Its plumage is pecu¬ 
liarly rich and beautiful, the head and neck being 
white and the rest of its body of a rich olive brown, 
excepting the wing tips which are black. An elegant 


SHOOTING ADVENTURES. 


289 


tuft of curled, glossy black feathers surmounts the 
head, adding greatly to the splendor of its appear¬ 
ance. In the more elevated parts of the country 
there is another species, the pauji de piedra or 
cashew-bird, so. called from a singular excrescence on 
the top of its head, in color a bluish gray, and bear¬ 
ing some resemblance to a polished nodule of slate. 
This bird only inhabits woods growing at about four 
thousand feet of elevation, and if possible exceeds in 
beauty the preceding. Its plumage of a deep black, 
with tints of olive green, contrasts exquisitely with 
that of the bill and legs, which are respectively of a 
brilliant scarlet and deep yellow. They are even 
more easily domesticated than the preceding, and are 
therefore to be met with in many a farm yard of the 
Cordillera, where they form one of its most graceful 
ornaments. 

The guacharaca or South American pheasant may 
also be classed among the finest game birds of Venez¬ 
uela, and is extremely abundant everywhere. In riding 
along the solitary roads through the plains and fertile 
vales of the tierra caliente , the traveller may have 
often noticed at all hours of the day and even of the 
night, more especially at the approach of rain, a most 
discordant chattering in harsh and shrill notes ; it is 
the song of the guacharaca , a bird of about the size 
of the domestic hen, bearing some resemblance to the 
female pheasant, and like it of a chocolate color. It 
is of a sociable nature, always congregating in flocks 
of twenty or thirty. The moment one of the number 
leads the chant, all the rest join in chorus, uttering 
distinctly in hoarse repetition guacharaca , guachar 
13 


290 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


raca ; hence the name of this bird. These cries are 
invariably responded to by all the flocks in the neigh¬ 
borhood, so that in a short time the whole valley 
rings from end to end with their discordant voices. 
Like all other gallinaceous birds, it is very easily do¬ 
mesticated with the paujies , pavas , gallinetas , and 
several other wild fowl with which the rural inhabi¬ 
tant loves to stock his yard. 

In addition to the foregoing, there are also in the 
Llanos all kinds of wild pigeons, doves, plovers, and 
quails, the latter so abundant that they can easily be 
killed by the hundred with a stick. And indeed, so 
great is the almost endless variety of fine birds in 
these wilds, that it would be impossible, within the 
limits of these pages, to enter into further detail con¬ 
cerning them. 

Deer were also very plentiful, both in the mata y 
whither they were attracted by its refreshing shade, 
and in the meadows around it; but having no dogs 
with us, and being unwilling to tire our horses in un¬ 
profitable sport, we refrained from their pursuit. One 
afternoon, however, much to my surprise, a merry, 
clever fellow by the name of Casimiro, who had fol¬ 
lowed us from the valleys, entered the camp bending 
under the weight of a fine doe which he had killed 
that afternoon, together with a buck that an Indian 
boy was carrying for him. On our complimenting 
his extraordinary skill in killing two deer in so short 
a space of time, he informed us that he could have 
brought down any number of them, and intended 
retracing his steps at once for more. This proved no 
mere boast, for quickly returning to the woods, he 


SHOOTING ADVENTURES. 291 

soon after again made his appearance with a similar 
load, which, seating himself by the fire, he at once 
commenced skinning. 

I inquired of Casimiro the occasion of his success; 
he replied by producing a tube of bamboo about the 
thickness of the thumb, one end being covered with 
a thin membrane. On blowing through the other 
end, a sound precisely resembling the bleating of a 
young fawn resulted. It is in this manner that the 
treacherous hunter decoys the anxious doe, whose 
every motion he watches from the place of his con¬ 
cealment behind the branches of some tree, usually 
the algarrobo, of whose pods deer are very fond. 
This detestable expedient is, I am glad to state, rarely 
practised unless by hungry sportsmen; and as we 
were then in the midst of plenty, and venison besides 
not being much relished by the beef-eating popula¬ 
tion of the Llanos, we had fortunately no occasion to 
resort to it in any of our subsequent deer-shooting 
adventures. 

Another device much practised by Indians in 
these cases, consists in assuming the guise of the 
great garzon or soldier crane of the pampas, whose 
company appears always welcome to deer grazing in 
the open prairie. This crane, which I have mentioned 
in a former chapter, as being at the least five feet in 
height, is mounted upon a pair of long slender legs, 
giving it the appearance of walking on stilts; their 
plumage is a dazzling white, and they have a pouch 
under the throat of a brilliant sca-rlet color. The 
bill, too, is quite a remarkable feature, fully a foot 


292 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


long and very wide at the base, which permits of 
swallowing at a mouthful large fish, as well as frogs, 
toads and snakes, of which last it partakes with equal 
relish. All that the hunter has to do, who intends 
ensnaring his deer with borrowed plumes, is to hide 
his own face with a mask, which must have a long 
bill resembling that of the crane attached to it. The 
mask being securely fastened on, he finishes his toilet 
by covering his body to his knees with a white gar¬ 
ment. 



In this simple disguise the hunter, equipped be¬ 
sides with his gun or bow and arrows, makes straight 
for the game, careful however to approach it in a 
contrary direction to that of the wind, deer possessing 
peculiarly acute powers of scent. On one occasion, 
I was fortunate enough to shoot three of these shy 
animals out of a small herd, before the rest took the 
alarm. 


SHOOTING ADVENTURES. 


293 


Our young attache ,, Roseliano, who had witnessed 
the universal success of these devices, envying the 
achievements of his elders, determined to try what he 
could accomplish for himself in this line. Accord¬ 
ingly, choosing for his intended victim a fine stag 
grazing at no great distance from the camp, he forth¬ 
with proceeded on his experiment. Having no gar - 
zon's beak at hand, nor even a white garment, with 
which to personate the feathered dandy of the savan¬ 
nas, he was for some time at a loss how to approach 
the game without alarming it, when a malicious com¬ 
panion persuaded him that he could ensnare the deer 
equally well if he presented himself simply in puris 
Tiaturalibus , assuring him that the animal would in¬ 
dubitably conceive him to be a rare bird or at least 
a new species of garzon. Roseliano, finally convinced 
by these specious representations, quickly denuded 
himself; then, gun in hand, and taking all necessary 
precautions in regard to the- wind, which was blowing 
quite fresh at the time, immediately gave chase. 

At first the stag appeared to pay little heed to the 
enticing object, and allowed it to approach within 
range ; but the moment the gun was raised, the stag 
turned round and trotted slowly off, waving his short 
tail defiantly. Sometimes he stopped for a little while,. 
seeming to examine from head to foot this unfeathered 
biped, afterward resuming his mastications with per¬ 
fect nonchalance. At such times Roseliano, with 
due precautions, would creep slowly toward him, 
when invariably the deer, almost within range, again 
trotted composedly down the plain, not even giving 
his pursuer a chance to aim at him. Occasionally he 


294 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


would turn about, stamp bis tiny hoof upon the hard 
ground, and again move off wagging his little tail at 
him as though to say, “No, you don’t.” 

Thus went each, still eluding still pursuing, for a 
long distance, without either seeming at all willing to 
part company, until the burning sun began to tell 
upon the bare skin of the young hunter, who expe¬ 
rienced besides sundry painful reminders from the 
thorny sensitive plants under foot. At length grow¬ 
ing somewhat desperate, he dashed ahead and sent a 
random shot after the deer without success, the ball 
striking the ground far short of the mark. The deer 
seemed now to think he had received notice to quit, 
for, to the great disgust of poor Roseliano, he at once 
bounded gracefully over the tall grass and disap¬ 
peared from view. 

Within a stone’s throw of our camp were several 
lagoons abounding in terrapins and turtles, whilst on 
all sides the savannas teemed with many delicious 
quadrupeds. These, on account of their penchant 
for the water, have been declared cold-blooded an¬ 
imals by the church, and can in consequence be 
eaten as fish; and as it was Holy Week, a grand 
hunt was proposed for the purpose of providing the 
camp with food which should be wholesome as well 
for the soul as the body. Accordingly, early on Goofl 
Triday morning the whole disposable force assembler 
in front of the ranch ; and after a partial organization, 
all started on foot in different directions, some in 
quest of cachicamos or armadillos, others for gala- 
pagos and tortoises, while the less fastidious did not 
disdain td try their skill upon those water hogs, the 
chigiiires or capyvaras. 


SHOOTING ADVENTURES. 295 

The results of the hunt far exceeded our expecta¬ 
tion, as in less than four hours nearly three hundred 
armadillos, and probably as many turtles, were 
brought into camp. The flesh of the chiguire is not 
much relished by the Llaneros, although it is excel¬ 
lent for hams when properly cured and smoked; 
accordingly the carcasses, the hind quarters being 
removed, were left to the turkey buzzards. 

The flesh of the armadillo is most delicious, tast¬ 
ing very much like young pig; and being always 
roasted in the shell — a thick 
cuirass formed of successive 
horny plates—all its juices are 
effectually preserved. It is, 
however, very rich eating, from 
the excess of fatness, and there¬ 
fore liable to produce indiges¬ 
tion, if not followed by a good 
dose of aguardiente and a strong 
sauce of Chili peppers. It is also said to exert very 
injurious effects on persons predisposed to syphilitic 
disorders of the system, developing incipient ulcers 
and various other cutaneous diseases. 

The armadillo is a harmless, curiously-formed 
little quadruped, about the size of a common hedge¬ 
hog ; it burrows in the ground, spending the greater 
part of the day in cool retirement, issuing at dusk or 
very early in the morning in search of food ; this con¬ 
sists principally of worms, the larvae of insects or per¬ 
chance a young snake from the broods that take shel¬ 
ter among the cells of its subterranean abode—whether 
by permission or as intruders, remains to be ascer- 



296 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


tained. The fact is, however, that many of these bur¬ 
rows are so full of snakes, that it is necessary on ac¬ 
count of them to exercise considerable caution when 
passing near the abodes of armadillos. Two little 
owls called aguaita-caminos , road-watchers, usually 
stand like sentinels at the entrance of these burrows, 
and by their constant flutterings around the sports¬ 
man, and their uncouth motions, almost invariably 
succeed in warning the armadillo. Nevertheless, if 
the hunter approach in front, he can always secure it 
with his hands as its vision in that direction is entirely 
obscured by the position of the plates with which the 
head is covered. When attacked from the rear or 
sides, it makes quickly for its burrow; but if the 
hunter, however, be sufficiently expert, he may suc¬ 
ceed in getting hold of the long, horny tail of the an¬ 
imal before it disappears entirely from view. Even 
then, as this creature possesses the power of swelling 
its body when thus attacked, it is rather difficult to 
drag it out, unless by some means the size of the bur¬ 
row can be enlarged. There is then danger of severe 
wounds from its sharp claws, as well as of being bitten 
by some of the poisonous snakes which share its 
home. 

What affinity there is existing between this 
quadruped and the finny inhabitants of the water, 
prompting their classification among amphibia, I was 
unable to ascertain ; but although the capyvara and 
several others placed by the church under that cate¬ 
gory, possess, it is true, great powers of resistance 
while in water, the reverse is assuredly the case with 
regard to the armadillo, which always seeks the higher 


SHOOTING ADVENTURES. 


297 


grounds so as to escape submersion during the great 
floods ; and I have often found it in the midst of ex¬ 
tensive plains where no moisture excepting the dews 
of night is to be seen for miles around. 

When all the different parties, participants in the 
hunting excursion, were once more seated round the 
camp fires, it was quite amusing to hear their ac¬ 
counts of the various incidents connected with it; 
one had got hold of a rattlesnake’s tail, mistaking it 
for that of an armadillo ; another had stumbled over 
a crocodile while diving for turtles in a shallow creek; 
a third had his toe bitten off by caribes; while not a 
few experienced more or less severe shocks from elec¬ 
tric eels. In front of many of the fires, soon blazing 
under the trees, were arrayed on long wooden spits 
entire carcasses of the armadillos split along the belly 
and kept open by means of cross bars of green boughs. 
Directly the coals were sufficiently hot in the centre 
of the fires, the galapagos were all beheaded and 
thrown, still alive, into the midst of the burning em¬ 
bers. These chelonia, like all other amphibia, are ex¬ 
ceedingly tenacious, of life ; their sufferings, therefore, 
must doubtless be great under this lingering death, as 
was manifested by their long-continued struggles in 
the fire. 

The Llaneros say thaf these turtles, according to 
their most exquisite gastronomers, should be eaten 
where there is no light, asserting that they will then 
be found more rich and juicy ; but the actual reason 
for this, as I afterward ascertained to my great dis¬ 
gust, was that some of the choicest morsels are pre- 


208 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

cisely those which to he eaten must not be seen, 
as otherwise they would unhesitatingly be rejected. 

There are several varieties of fresh water tortoises 
in the Apure, an abundant and wholesome food for 
the inhabitants. The most common are the galapagos , 
a- large species of terrapin, the terecay and the arrau 
or great turtle of the Orinoco, concerning which the 
celebrated Father Gumilla wrote in his “ Orinoco Il¬ 
lustrated,” that it would be as difficult to count the 
grains of sand on the shores of the Orinoco, as to 
count the immense number of tortoises which inhabit 
its margin and water. Although confiued principally 
to the broad channel of the Orinoco, the arraus 
are met with also in great abundance in the Apure, 
the Arauca, and most of the other large tributaries 
of that river ; as also in the Amazon, according 
to Bates' statements, who has devoted a chapter to 
this magnificent turtle, and to the exciting scenes 
which take place during the gathering of their eggs 
by the Amazonian Indians and Portuguese traders. 
As I intend to allude again to this subject, I will 
return to their congeners of the' flooded lands west 
of the Orinoco. To convey a distinct idea of the 
prodigious abundance of this species, it may suffice to 
say that by merely driving a herd of wild cattle or 
horses at full speed into any pond of these savannas, 
the first wave produced by the siidden splash will 
heave up thousands of turtles upon the beach. 
Another method resorted to in the Llanos for obtain¬ 
ing them, is by raking in the soft mud in which these 
chelonia habitually bury themselves the moment they 
are alarmed. After this mud becomes thoroughly. 


SHOOTING ADVENTURES. 


299 


dried by the summer’s heat, they remain under its 
indurated crust in a dormant state until the com¬ 
mencement of the rainy season. Yet even here the 
poor creatures are insecure, as they are not unfre- 
quently roused from their siesta by the hunter setting 
fire to the dry water plants, the ornaments of these 
natural ponds; at such times breaking through the 
earth crust which environs them, they in vain en¬ 
deavor to escape their tormentors, who can then pick 
them up at their leisure. 

In addition to the foregoing, there are two other 
varieties of tortoises found amidst the marshes and 
jungles of the Llanos ; they are the morrocoy or land 
tortoise, having a hard and rounded shell, and the 
jicotea, an animal which appears to form the con¬ 
necting link between turtles proper and tortoises; 
both are of excellent flavor, more especially the for¬ 
mer, whose liver, dressed and fried in its own gall, is 
undoubtedly superior to that most prized of all epi¬ 
curean morsels, foie gras. It is very large as com¬ 
pared with the size of the animal, decreasing however 
very materially if its owner has had a long fast, which, 
as this reptile, like all others of the class, can and does 
frequently live a long time without food, has doubt¬ 
less occasioned the popular error that it feeds on its 
own liver when long deprived of other nourishment. 

During the season of great droughts, the morrocoy 
seeks the hollow trunks of trees for shelter, where it 
lives .entirely without nourishment for several months, 
until, feeling the dampness produced by the first 
showers of spring penetrating his subterranean abode, 
he moves slowly out to browse upon.the tender shoots 


300 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of water plants and prairie lilies. Tlie shell of this 
tortoise is so hard that nothing short of heavy blows 
from an axe can separate the thick plates of which it 
is formed, and a locomotive engine might pass over it 
without producing the least effect upon its unimpres- 
sible tenant. Long after the carcass has been cut up 
for cooking, and is in water boiling over the fire, the 
pieces are incessantly in motion, and it is not until 
the boiling has been continued many successive hours, 
that the meat is fit for eating. 

The land tortoise does not deposit its eggs in the 
sand, as is the practice with its congener of the water, 
but drops them indiscriminately into any convenient 
hole, leaving the care of hatching them to the heat of 
the earth. The egg, which is larger than a hen’s, is 
extremely white, spherical in form, and very hard. 
The male is readily distinguished from the female by 
a deep depression of its pectoral plate, that of the 
female being perfectly even with the ground. 

I have been assured by reliable parties that the 
blood of the morrocoy is a specific for neuralgia* if 
rubbed, while still warm, upon the part affected. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


M*A TA TOTUMO. 

Little was accomplished in the way of hunting 
during the two weeks we passed at Mata Gorda, oc¬ 
cupying ourselves mainly in building a ranch for the 
establishment of a caporal and his family, with cor¬ 
rals attached, sufficiently spacious to accommodate a 
large drove. Other parts of the estate requiring im¬ 
mediate attention, we removed from Mata Gorda to 
Mata Totumo, a retired corner of the savannas,, whose 
proximity to other cattle farms exposed it to the con¬ 
stant depredations of poachers. In this way vast 
numbers of our cattle were annually lost to us; it 
had accordingly become necessary to establish there 
also a Fundacion, or small farm with a resident capo¬ 
ral, who should exercise a strict surveillance and take 
charge of a small herd of tame cattle as a nucleus for a 
permanent settlement in that exposed frontier. 

Hardly were we established in the new encamp¬ 
ment, when a party of our men in scouring the sa¬ 
vanna encountered a band of these cattle poachers, 
who had already collected a sufficient drove to make 


302 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


them comfortable to the year’s end, and were hasten¬ 
ing home with their unlawful booty. Our people 
immediately gave chase, but succeeded in capturing 
two only of the robbers. After whipping these most 
unmercifully, as is customary in the Llanos for similar 
offences, and giving them in addition the positive as¬ 
surance that, if again found within the precincts of 
the estate, they would fare even worse, the rascals 
w T ere at length allowed to depart without further 
punishment. 

As usual in all our prairie encampments, much 
time was occupied in destroying baneful weeds and 
reptiles. Snakes especially were so plentiful as to at 
times greatly endanger our barefooted community. 
That habit is second nature, was certainly strikingly 
exemplified in the present instance, for in a few days 
we came to notice the heretofore dreaded snakes as 
little as though so many harmless earthworms. Our 
fears, if not their cause, being at length entirely re¬ 
moved, we next erected a shelter from the inclemency 
of the weather for our abundant luggage, no small 
cause of anxiety, situated as we were at a long dis¬ 
tance from the source of any fresh supplies. After¬ 
wards we commenced raising corrals for our increas¬ 
ing herds. Fortunately building materials were very 
abundant; and the bamboo, that graceful represen¬ 
tative of the grasses, was of the greatest utility. Its 
tall and pliant stems afforded all that was necessary 
for rafters and fence rails, serving also various other 
uses. To duly estimate the size attained by this giant 
grass of the tropics, it is necessary to understand that 
some stems reach the astonishing height of thirty 


MATA TOTUMO. 


303 


or even forty feet, with a corresponding thickness 
of six or seven inches at their base; and as these 
bamboos spring in immense clusters from the ground, 
they grow at last into an aspect which is truly beau¬ 
tiful. Innumerable slender leaves of a delicate sea 
green color, clothe in masses the tops of these huge 
stems, curving them downward by their weight, and 
giving them, especially when sporting with the soft 
breezes of the pampas, the appearance of waving 
plumes of most magnificent proportions, rising, bend¬ 
ing, swaying in long, graceful sweeps over the tops 
of the surrounding trees. An elegant writer, describ¬ 
ing this majestic Queen of the Grasses, has beauti¬ 
fully said, “ Grace, delicacy, richness of form and 
color, every element of vegetable beauty, appear com¬ 
bined in this luxuriant dweller by the streams of the 
tropics. Nothing is more cheerful to the eye of the 
heated and wearied traveller, than the deep rocky 
basins formed by mountain streams when filled with 
water, and overshadowed by clumps of bamboo. 
They often lean over the stream on one side and arch 
the pathway on the other, excluding almost every 
ray of sunlight from the cool recesses below. Their 
delicate brittle leaves are stirred by the tiniest zephyr, 
and bend to the pressure of the butterfly and the bee. 
Sometimes clumps of bamboo stand on either side of the 
roads and form long vaulted passages, as if by fretted 
Gothic arches, with here and there branches of rich 
flowers and leaves hanging down like beautiful cor¬ 
bels. When the gale of the hurricane comes, these 
groves of bamboo exchange an aspect of beauty for 
that of grandeur. They are heaved and tossed like 


304 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

the billows of the sea, and their rich foliage driven in 
every direction appears like surges breaking on the 
rocks.*” 

No sooner was the majada in readiness, than we 
commenced the somewhat laborious, but at the same 
time pleasingly exciting business of filling it, for 
which purpose we called upon the neighboring cattle 
farms of La Yagua and Caucagua for assistance. So 
effectual were our efforts, that in a few days we had 
collected two thousand animals for the brand, most 
of which, having long passed the age when this oper¬ 
ation is usually performed, gave us in consequence a 
great deal of trouble. Occasionally, by way of relax¬ 
ation from our labors, we busied ourselves in training 
the boys in the manly art of tor ear, or the scarcely 
less dangerdus one of breaking in wild horses, on 
which especially the hardy dwellers of the Llanos 
eminently pride themselves* During our sojourn at 
Mata Totumo, its owner became concerned in an in¬ 
cident highly illustrative of this peculiar pride, so uni¬ 
versal a trait among these children of Nature and the 
Sun, illustrative no less of the almost entire freedom 
from conventional restraint which exists between 
master and servant in the Llanos. Our Leader had 
taken a strong fancy to a beautiful cream colored 
horse, w T hicli, although partially trained to the saddle, 
missed no opportunity of practising some of his old 
tricks, a favorite one being apparently to unseat, 
whenever possible, his rider. This amusement he 
several times indulged in at the expense of his master, 
and, as it chanced, always in presence of his pet cap- 


MATA TOTUMO. 


305 


oral, Sarmiento, who invariably gave carte blanclie 
to his own witticisms on such occasions. To these 
the good-humored master replied one day by chal¬ 
lenging him to ride the horse round the camp on a 
run without being thrown, a dollar to be added to his 
wages if successful; if the reverse, the same amount 
to be thereafter deducted. “ Done,” cried Sarmiento, 
extending his hand familiarly to his master; and 
without more words, having blindfolded the horse by 
means of a sliding leather strap attached to the bridle, 
called tapaojos , he placed iipon him his own saddle 
and holsters, and the next moment was firmly seated 
on his back. Then, removing the bandage, he at 
once commenced belaboring the refractory stallion 
with his chaparro , showering such powerful blows 
upon his haunches, that the terrified animal rushed 
headlong through the camp, rearing, plunging, and 
tearing along the plain at a fearful pace. All in vain 
were the efforts of the nigh frantic steed to shake the 
unmerciful Centaur from his back ; the poor animal 
had to strive against one with whom contention was 
ineffectual, and who finally brought him back tri¬ 
umphantly to the camp as submissively meek as ho 
had previously been savage and refractory. 

Shortly after our arrival in that secluded spot, 
came the Corporation of Mantecal, under whose juris¬ 
diction we were, accompanied by many of the inhabi¬ 
tants, to pay their respects and personal regards to 
the former chieftain of the Llanos and late President 
of the Republic, tendering him at the same time the 
hospitalities of the town—a few straggling huts. It 


806 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


was a surprise party, nevertheless we acquitted our¬ 
selves with becoming hospitality. Two fat calves were 
immediately slaughtered; and these, together with 
numbers of armadillos, galapagos, and a fine sow from 
the swamps near by, formed a banquet not unworthy 
a London board of aldermen. A hastily constructed 
table, its top made from laths of bamboo and tied 
with bejucos or creepers to four rough posts set in the 
ground, was soon raised under the trees; the broad 
leaves of the wild plantain formed the table cloth, 
while the shells of galapagos served the double pur¬ 
pose of plates and dishes, entirely in keeping with the 
rural entertainment. 

Here, as well as at Mata Gorda, game was most 
abundant, and we could at all times count upon a 
ready supply with which to vary the more substan¬ 
tial dishes. Deer were plentiful in the surrounding 
woods; but I found them, after killing several, too 
thin at this season to be worth hunting, especially as 
the savannas were teeming with the finest cattle and 
wild hogs; the latter are in good condition at all 
times, and each day our men brought to camp the 
spoils of one or more capones hanging from the sad¬ 
dles. 

The ant-bear or great ant-eater, a stout and power¬ 
ful animal measuring six feet from the snout to the 
end of the tail, also ranged these prairies; but al¬ 
though his flesh is well-flavored and easily procured, 
it is never used for food, owing to his repulsive ap¬ 
pearance. “ He is chiefly found in the inmost recesses 
of the forest, and seems partial to the low and swampy 
parts near creeks, where the trocly-tree grows. There 


MATA TOTUMO. 


30T 


he goes up and down in quest of ants, of which there 
is never the least scarcity, so that he soon obtains a 
sufficient supply of food with very little trouble. lie 
cannot travel fast; man is superior to him in speed. 

. Without swiftness to enable him to escape from liis 
enemies; without teeth, the possession of which would 
assist him in self-defence ; and without the power of 
burrowing in the ground, by which he might conceal 
himself from his pursuers, he still is capable of rang¬ 
ing through these wilds in perfect safety ; nor does 
he fear the fatal pressure of the serpent’s fold, or the 
teeth of the famished jaguar. Nature has formed his 
fore-legs wonderfully thick, and strong, and muscular, 
and armed his feet with three tremendous sharp and 
crooked claws. Whenever he seizes an animal with 
these formidable weapons, he hugs it close to his 
body, and keeps it there till it dies through pressure, 





308 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


or through want of food. Nor does the ant-bear in 
the meantime suffer much from loss of aliment, as it 
is a well-known fact that he can go longer without 
food than, perhaps, any other animal, excepting the 
land-tortoise. Ilis skin is of a texture that perfectly 
resists the bite of a dog; his hinder parts are pro¬ 
tected by thick and shaggy hair, while his immense 
tail is large enough to cover his whole body.” * 

Numerous also were the foot-prints of the jaguar ; 
yet, in my frequent perambulations through the forest, 
it was never my fortune to encounter this despot of 
the howling wilderness, although I one day mistook 
for his voice that of the titiriji or great horned owl 
of the pampas. I found him perched among the 
branches of a guamo tree, inclining his large head 
toward me with a scrutinizing look peculiar to those 
birds, as if taking mental notes of my appearance. 
'Whenever I remained perfectly quiet he gave utter¬ 
ance to his unearthly bootings, the woods echoing 
and re-echoing the dismal sounds. The titiriji would 
seem to be possessed of some ventriloquial power, for 
his voice, loud and deep as it was, yet appeared to 
issue from a distance. The frequent effect of this pe¬ 
culiarity is to mislead the unaccustomed hunter, who 
by it is readily induced to wander on and on in un¬ 
availing search. Having contemplated at leisure this 
singular bird, I finally levelled my fowling-piece at 
him, and brought him down with a charge of buck¬ 
shot which I had destined for a deer. It proved a 
very fine specimen, with wings as large as those of a 

* Waterton’s “ Wanderings in South America.” 


MATA TOTUMO. 


309 


good sized turkey, wliile two horn-like tufts of feathers 
rose on each side of the head, which, in addition to 
the large, glaring eyes, gave him a truly ferocious 
aspect. His food consists of all kinds of wild fowl; 
however, not being over scrupulous, he devours with 
equal relish rats, mice and snakes; while even mon¬ 
keys of the smaller sort are often his prey. This owl 
inhabits for the most part the .loneliest and gloomiest 
portions of the forest; but is occasionally seen sol¬ 
emnly Watching from some convenient tree-top the 
various inhabitants of the farmyard. 

MANTECAL. 

In compliance with an invitation tendered to the 
General and his suite by the good people of Mantecal, 
we started in a few days to visit their village, not far 
distant from our encampment. When within three 
miles of the place, we were welcomed by a large con¬ 
course of the inhabitants Coming to escort us. Al¬ 
most the whole population turned out, saluting our 
entry into the town with the firing of bluuderbuses 
and other firearms, and further gracing it with a most 
discordant uproar of rickety harps, violins, and ban- 
dolas, enough to have driven frantic the “ Enraged 
Musician ” of Hogarth. 

Mantecal was at one time quite a flourishing town, 
notwithstanding the wars which ravaged it for many 
successive years; but since the great epidemic of 1832, 
and subsequently, it has been well nigh depopulated, 
while the few inhabitants who were not swept away 
by the scourge, abandoned their homes. Thus the 


310 * TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

once busy community became almost a dismal wil¬ 
derness, 

“ Where at each step the stranger fears to wake 
The rattling terrors of the vengeful snake.” 

At the time of our visit to Mantecal but few 
houses remained standing, sad monuments of past 
•prosperity. We spent three days there, and the in¬ 
habitants, hospitable in spite of their miserable con¬ 
dition, entertained us to the utmost of their ability. 
Not only did they provide the best accommodations 
the village afforded, but treated us in addition to a 
nightly fandango, in which people of all castes and 
conditions joined. These festivities ended, we gladly 
returned to our prairie home, the more especially that 
the important duties we had there to perform would 
probably delay our return to Maracay several weeks 
longer; also the rainy season was fast approaching 
and each day we had warnings of the coming tempest 
then brewing in the south. • 

We continued to hunt those savannas while there 
were any orejanos to brand, adding largely in the 
meantime to our stock of reserved oxen for the mar¬ 
kets of the upper country, which had already in¬ 
creased to a considerable drove. We also made sev¬ 
eral excursions to the neighboring cattle farms for 
the purpose of separating from their herds all the 
orejanos whose mothers bore our brand. Judging 
from the number of calves there collected, and with¬ 
out taking into consideration those yearly discarded, 
by the mothers, it was easy to perceive that the rev¬ 
enues of those estates were greatly increased at our 


MATA TOTUMO. 


311 


cost, their original stock being vastly inferior to ours. 
In this manner many of the minor cattle farms en¬ 
riched themselves at the expense of wealthy neighbors. 


i 


CHAPTER XIX. 


MONKEY NOTIONS. 

The guamos were now in full bearing, their lus¬ 
cious pods a grateful refreshment to the heated and 
thirsty rambler through the woods. Monkeys and 
macaws are particularly fond of this fruit; and on 
the tops of all the highest guamo-trees could be seen 
family reunions of these chatterers apparently discuss¬ 
ing the merits of the crop. 

Of monkeys, the most conspicuous in the Llanos 
are the araguato, or howling monkey (Simia ursina), 
and the machango (S. sajous), this last a small grey 
monkey, very common in most parts of Venezuela. 
On account of its wonderful agility and vivacious dis¬ 
position the machango is much esteemed as a pet by 
the inhabitants, many of whom keep one or more tied 
to a post in the court-yard, where they enact to some 
extent the role of buffoon to the whole family. They 
are, however, very mischievous creatures, doing every 
possible damage in the house the moment they are at 
large ; but are especially destructive to cacao plan- 


/ 


MONKEY NOTIONS. 313 

tations and cornfields. When about to commence 
their depredations in these, they usually assemble in 
great numbers and exercise many precautions; the 
first step is to station several of their number as sen¬ 
tinels upon the highest trees, or any elevated situation 
overlooking the avenues leading to the plantation,' 
whence they warn the others of approaching danger. 
The next proceeding is that of placing those of the fe¬ 
males—which on account of their young are prevented 
from assisting in the foray—in some safe retreat. The 
precautions completed, they invest the cornfield in 
earnest, pulling down the-stocks and tearing off ears 
of corn with astonishing expedition, chattering, laugh¬ 
ing, and yelling all the while like a set of mischievous 
boys in the absence of the dominie. When they have 
accumulated a sufficient number of ears, they split 
the husks, and tying them in pairs by means of an 
ingenious knot peculiar to themselves, called in con¬ 
sequence monkey-tie, they throw them across their 
backs, and thus equipped hasten to hide their booty 
in some safe nook difficult of discovery by the neglect¬ 
ful majordomo, who not unfrequently conceals his 
own defalcations in the yield of the plantation by 
ascribing the deficiency to the thieving monkeys. It 
often happens that while these last are engaged in 
their depredations, they are surprised by the owner 
of the cornfield, who, eluding the vigilance of the 
scouts, suddenly appears and pours a shower of shot 
into their midst. Then with shrill cries of alarm the 
whole troop scamper off helter-skelter, tumbling, 
pitching or hobbling along on all fours, but never 
dropping a particle of their plunder. The belief ob- 


* 314 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

tains in the Llanos, that when at. length safe in their 
haunts, the careless sentinels are arraigned before a 
council of elders, who after due deliberation condemn 
them, after which the guilty parties are tied to a tree 
and soundly whipped. 

No less remarkable is their ingenious method of 
crossing torrents and other minor streams which they 
often encounter in their ceaseless perambulations 
through the forest. As among men, all cannot swim 
with equal facility, so it is also with monkeys ; accor¬ 
dingly the leaders of the troop, generally the strong¬ 
est of the party, climb to the spreading branches of 
some tree projecting over the stream; one of them 
then twists his tail firmly around a branch, and let¬ 
ting his body hang, seizes upon the tail- of the nearest 
comrade, w]io in his turn performs the same operation 
with the next, and so on until a sort of chain or living 
pendulum is formed, which in obedience to the laws 
of equilibrium oscillates slowly but constantly from 
their combined efforts to reach the opposite bank. 
This finally achieved, the last monkey secures him¬ 
self to the most convenient tree. The others of the 
chain, now disengaged from the tree at the opposite 
side of the stream, wade through the water, each 
helped by his neighbor, assisted likewise by the cur¬ 
rent. Some are, however, occasionally drowned, the 
last one in the chain especially, which circumstance 
has probably given rise to the popular proverb, 'el 
ultimo mono siempre se ahoga —the last monkey is 
sure to be drowned. Sagseious as these animals un¬ 
doubtedly are, it is often very easy to entrap them. 
One of the simplest methods consists in cutting a 


MONKEY NOTIONS. 


315 


number of boles in a gourd barely large enough to 
admit of squeezing in the monkey’s hands. The 
gourd thus prepared is tilled with corn and secured* 
to the trunk of a tree, then shaken violently for a 
time so as to attract the attention of the monkeys, 
and a few grains of corn scattered in the neighbor¬ 
hood of the trap. The gourd is in fact the dinner 
bell of the monkeys, which no sooner hear the well 
known sound, than they descend in great numbers 
from their aerial homes, and each in turn seizing the 
gourd, .grasps through one of the holes a handful of 
corn. But in vain do they struggle to withdraw their 
hands without relinquishing the prize; and at this 
critical moment, the concealed author of their mishap 
suddenly makes his appearance, and tying their hands 
carries them otf to his cottage in the woods. 

’ More taciturn and retiring in his habits than the 
preceding, the araguato —a large reddish monkey of 
the ring-tail genus—exhibits none of those mischiev¬ 
ous tricks which characterize the former, never ap¬ 
proaching the haunts of man nor ravaging the fields 
of the industrious farmer. His only food consists of 
wild fruits, gathered as, with astonishing rapidity, he 
springs from branch to branch. All the limbs of this 
great monkey are admirably adapted to his roving 
habits ; in these he is assisted very materially by his 
long prehensile tail, which acts the part of a fifth 
hand. 

The roar of the araguato is so extraordinary, that 
persons who hear it for tho first time invariably ima¬ 
gine it that of the jaguar. I think I may assert with¬ 
out fear of mistake, that it can be heard at the dis- 


316 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


tance of three miles, especially in damp and cloudy 4 
weather. “ This most striking of all animal voices is 
heard occasionally at sunrise and sunset, and some¬ 
times in the heat of the day, but more frequently 
durng the darkness of night. When near, the roar 
is terrific ; a naturalist has compared it to the tem¬ 
pest howling through rocky caverns. It is a voice so 
unearthly that, heard unexpectedly for the first time, 
it would fill the- mind with the most melancholy fore¬ 
bodings.” * 

“ The Indians pretend,” observes Humboldt, that 
when the araguatos fill the forest with their howl- 
ings, there is always one that chants as leader 
to the chorus. The observation is pretty accurate. 
During a long interval one solitary and strong voice 
is generally distinguished, till its place is taken by 
another voice* of a different pitch. We may ob¬ 
serve from time to time the same instinct of imita¬ 
tion among frogs, and almost all animals which live 
together and exert their voices in union. The mis¬ 
sionaries further assert that when a female among 
the araguatos is on the point of bringing forth, the 
choir suspends its howlings till the moment of the 
birth of the young. I could not myself judge of the 
accuracy of this assertion; but I do not believe it to 
be entirely unfounded. I have observed that when 
an extraordinary incident—the moans, for instance, 
of a wounded araguato —fixed the attention of the 
band, the howlings were for* some minutes suspended. 


* Gosse : The Romance of Natural History. 


MONKEY NOTIONS. 


BIT 

The face of this singular monkey is nearly concealed 
by a sandy, bushy beard, extending below and project¬ 
ing considerably beyond his chin, giving him a very 
dignified appearance. So striking is their resem¬ 
blance to the human species, that once, after having 
shot one, I almost felt as though I had committed a 
murder. "When I raised the poor creature from the 
ground upon which he had fallen, his large grey eyes 
were bathed in tears, and every feature expressed the 
deepest agony. Casting upon me a most eloquent 
look of reproach, he endeavored to push me aside; 
but too much enfeebled by his wound, lay down and 
calmly resigned himself to the scrutinizing gaze of 
my English companions, who discussed and disputed 
about the division of his still panting body—one 
wanting the skin for a smoking cap and the drum of 
the throat for the bowl of his pipe, while the other 
would be contented with nothing less than the whole 
carcass. For my own part, I only desired to get out 
of sight of the dying creature; and shouldering my 
gun, departed in a mood which determined me never 
again to lift my hand against these innocent wild men 
of the woods. 

South America may be said to be, par excellence , 
the home of the monkey tribe. Besides the forego¬ 
ing, the great forest south of the pampas of Apure is 
filled with the cries, yells, and roarings by night and 
day—for some are nocturnal and others diurnal—of 
countless troops of the various families of these quad- 
rumana, roaming through it, from the mysterious 
Salvoje (supposed by many to be a great and power¬ 
ful monkey, who, Gorilla-like, seizes upon defenceless 


318 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES.- 

women and carries them off to some inaccessible tree 
in the forest), down to the tiny marmoset, not larger 
than a flying-squirrel, but all possessing more or less 
that degree of intelligence and cunning so nearly akin 
to human instinct. Some are white-faced, with the 
rest of the body black ; others black-faced, forming 
a curious contrast with a thick head of hair perfectly 
white. Bates observed on the Upper Amazon a very 
rare species with a scarlet face, making the animal 
look pretty much like an Indian bedaubed with ar- 
natto,* as is the practice of the aborigines in a wild 
state. Some have blue noses ; others a dark ring 
around the eyes, giving the creature a most ludicrous 
appearance, as if adorned with a pair of spectacles. 

In the same region is found another curious genus 
of monkeys, namely, the owl-faced night apes , de¬ 
scribed by Bates and Humboldt as being of small 
size, the body about a foot long and the tail fourteen 
inches, and are thickly clothed with soft, grey, and 
brown hair, similar in substance to that of the rabbit. 
They sleep all day long in hollow trees, and come 
forth to prey on insects, and eat fruits, only in the 
night. Their physiognomy reminds one of an owl, or 
tiger-cat; the face is round and encircled by a ruff 
of whitish fur. Bates had one of these animals 
given him by a cohipadre, as a present from his new¬ 
ly-baptized godson, and he describes it as being a 
great favorite with every one, from the cleanliness of 
its habits and the prettiness of its features and ways \ 


The pulpy covering of the seeds of Bixa orellana. 


MONKEY NOTIONS. 


319 


and. the Municipal Judge of Ega, Don Carlos Mariana, 
had another species of the same genus, which was 
most amusingly tame, delighting to be caressed by all 
persons who came into the house, and at night sleep¬ 
ing with his master in his own hammock, and nestling 
in his bosom half the day as he lay reading. 

A very striking feature of most South American 
monkeys is the strong resemblance they bear to the 
Indian race, just as those of Africa resemble the negro, 
and those of the Indian Archipelago the Malay race 
of men. Some of them look so much like Indians, 
that one cannot • help imagining there exists a near 
relationship between these dwellers of the forest. The 
capuchin of the Orinoco, which Waterton has made 
so celebrated, under the vague appellation of non¬ 
descript, and the titi of the same locality, may be 
mentioned as exceptions to the rule, the former on 
account of a long, bushy beard, and soft, glossy black 
head of hair, nicely parted in the middle, like a re¬ 
fined exquisite, and the latter with its finely-modelled 
head and most expressive features, which added to a 
high degree of intelligence and sprightly restlessness 
possessed by the little creature, make it a favorite 
pet, with ladies especially, when reduced to domestic 
life. The titi is a medium-sized monkey, with hair of 
a golden yellow ; and what adds to its attraction as 
a pet, is its cleanly habits, so unlike those of its con¬ 
geners, washing its hands whenever it comes near 
water, which makes them look at all times like those 
of a well-nursed child. But, woe to the elegantly 
furnished boudoir, if it should contrive to get loose, 


320 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

which it often does in spite of precautions, for it will 
prove a perfect enfant terrible amongst the choicest 
trinkets of feminine adornment, smashing everything 
within.its reach, and examining into every nook and 
corner of the wardrobe with perfect infantile curiosity. 
On the other hand, it will completely rid the house of 
spiders and other like vermin, for which tropical cli¬ 
mates are famous, not even sparing the favorite song¬ 
ster in its cage, for it is quite omnivorous in its tastes. 
Humboldt relates of one he kept in his canoe, during 
his tedious exploration of these rivers, that it would 
take particular pleasure in looking over the plates of 
a work on Natural History, which the great philosopher 
used to turn over occasionally for his own and his pet’s 
amusement ; sitting itself on the lap of its master, it 
would look intently on the figures of the various ani¬ 
mals with as much interest as a child would evince, 
under like circumstances, but without betraying any 
especial emotion, until it came to the plate represent¬ 
ing the insects. Although the engravings were not 
colored, the titi would now advance its little hand in 
the hope of catching a spider, a grasshopper, or a 
wasp, whenever it perceived one of these insects, of 
which it is particularly fond. It remained perfectly 
indifferent when it was shown engravings of skele¬ 
tons or heads of mammiferous animals. “ No other 
monkey,” adds Humboldt, “ has so much the phys¬ 
iognomy of a child as the titi ; there is the same ex¬ 
pression of innocence, the same playful smile, the 
same rapidity in the transition from joy to sorrow. 
Its large, handsome eyes are instantly filled with 


MONKEY NOTIONS.. 


821 


tears when it is seized with fear.” Even in the wild 
state, the titi evinces a degree of cunning seldom 
found in others of .its class. An instance of this is 
shown in the manner in which it robs the bee colony 
not only of its rich stores of sweet honey, but also of 
its industrious tenants ; stationing itself at the mouth 
of the beehive—usually in the hollow branch of some 
tree in the forest—the titi catches and eats up every 
member of the busy colony as they go in and out on 
their laborious errands. When no more insects can 
be obtained, and knowing instinctively that within 
that mysterious abode is to be found something 
sweeter still, the little imp diligently commences to 
dig into the aperture until a passage wide enough for 
the hand is made, and then commences the work of 
destruction upon grubs and honey-combs. Should 
these be placed too far down the opening to be reach¬ 
ed with the hand, the titi introduces its tail—which is 
considerably longer than its arms—into the deposit of 
honey, and withdrawing it, well bedaubed with the 
coveted prize, commences to enjoy it with great gusto. 

Isidore Geoffrey St. Hilaire relates of another in¬ 
dividual of this genus, that “it distinguished between 
different objects depicted on an engraving. M. Aud- 
ouin showed it the portraits of a cat and a wasp ; at 
these it became very much terrified ; whereas, at the 
sight of a figure of a grasshopper or beetle, it precipi¬ 
tated itself on the picture, as if to seize the objects 
there represented.” 

Bates mentions another rare species of the same 
genus, first described by Humboldt, which was, if pos- 


322 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

Bible, more playful and intelligent than any of the 
preceding. “ This rare and beautiful little monkey is 
only seven inches in length, exclusive of the tail. It 
is named leoninus , on account of the long’brown mane 
which depends from the neck, and which gives it very 
much the appearance of a diminutive lion. In the 
house where it was kept it was familiar with every 
one ; its greatest pleasure seemed to be to climb about 
the bodies of different persons who entered. The 
first time I went in, it ran across, the room straight-, 
way to the chair on which I had sat down, and 
climbed up to my shoulder ; arrived there, it turned 
round and looked into my face, showing its little 
teeth, and chattering as though it would say, c Well, 
and how do you do?’ It showed more affection 
toward its master than toward strangers, and would 
climb up to his head a dozen times in the course of 
an hour, making a great show every time of searching 
there for certain animate ula.” 

The same writer describes the ingenious mode of 
obtaining live specimens, as practised by Indian hun¬ 
ters. “ The mother, as in other species of the monkey 
order, carries her young on her back. Individuals are 
obtained alive by shooting them with the blow-pipe 
and arrows tipped with diluted urari poison. They 
run a considerable distance after being pierced, and it 
requires an experienced hunter-to track them. He 
is considered the most expert who can keep pace with 
a wounded one, and catch it in his arms when it falls 
exhausted. A pinch of salt, the antidote to the poison, 
is then put in its mouth, and the creature revives.” 


MONKEY NOTIONS. 


323 


As I write this in the quiet seclusion of the coun¬ 
try, I hear among the trees surrounding one of the 
finest mansions in Connecticut, the twittering, chatter 
of another little monkey, or marmoset, a titi of the 
coast of Cartagena, which I procured from hence not 
long ago. It'is quite small, of a reddish-brown color, 
with a face resembling more an African negro (for it 
is jet black) than the aborigines of the opposite 
coast. A thick woolly coat of white hair covers its 
head, so that at a distance the little creature looks as 
if ornamented with a cap of snow-white feathers. 
Enjoying with myself the freedom of the hospitable 
mansion, it is allowed to roam at pleasure among the 
branches of the trees, but as the sun goes down, it 
invariably seeks the comforts of its bed, prepared by 
its kind mistress, inside a market-basket in her own 
room. Monito—this is its name—is an early riser, 
which makes it rather inconvenient for the other in¬ 
mates of the room ; for, although the windows are 
left open through the night, it will not stir until its 
breakfast has been placed before the little scamp, who, 
in the meantime, keeps such squealing and twittering 
as to rouse “Nini” and her . mamma. Its hunger 
satisfied, it bounds away to the tree-tops, leaping 
from branch to branch with astonishing agility, which 
never fails to attract a crowd of squirrels, which, 
mistaking it for one of their tribe, run towards the 
stranger ; but no sooner do they perceive the jetty 
phyz and snowy locks of Don Monito, than, with one 
yell of astonishment, and the utmost horror depicted 
in their countenance, they scamper off to a respecta- 


324 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


ble distance. Then follows a sort of inquiring colloquy 
between both parties, all chatting at the same time, 
and making the air resound all the while with the 
chirping palaver. It does not get beyond this, how¬ 
ever, for, at the first advance made on either side, one 
of the parties, or both, scamper off ingloriously, thus 
verifying the saying— 

“He who fights and runs away 
Lives to fight another day.” 

Not satisfied with the abundant fare of spiders 
caught around the roof, Monito comes regularly to 
the house at certain hours, to be fed on more dainty 
food, consisting of bits of sugar, cake, and delicious 
grapes, fresh from the grapery, which the thought¬ 
ful ladies of the mansion have in readiness for their 
guest. At times it pays a visit to the laundress, at 
her establishment, for whom it has evinced a strong / 
attachment, owing, I suspect, to the fact that said 
dame invariably treats the favorite to a good slice of 
bread and butter, of which it seems to be very fond 
also. Selecting a comfortable place in some corner of 
the room, it spends an hour or so chatting to the 
worthy laundress all the while in a language only in¬ 
telligible to itself. I fear, however, that the country 
air of a northern climate does not quite agree with 
the little South-American, for it has been observed, 
at times, in the morning, shaking from head to foot, 
and seeking some convenient place on the roof of the 
piazza, where it can have the full benefit of the sun's 
rays, a sure sign of a coming attack of chills and fever. 


MONKEY NOTIONS. 


325 


This circumstance, and the fact of its having become 
more irritable and morose than usual, has induced me 
to procure, from a friend in town, another small mon¬ 
key, in whose company it came from South America, 
although of a different species, to see if the presence 
of its former associate will restore its spirits ; hut to 
no purpose, for, after a fair trial, we find that the at¬ 
tentions of this last, which is a most restless and mis¬ 
chievous creature, pulling the invalid's tail and silvery 
tufts of hair, whenever they are brought together, in¬ 
stead of proving a comfort to Monito, throws it into 
violent fits. 

The monkey in question is the cari-blanco, white- 
faced, of the River Sinu, a higher grade of ape than 
the marmosets, and is, in consequence, one of the 
most intelligent individuals of the family. It is really 
entertaining to see such a small creature aping child¬ 
hood so well as to amuse itself and the rest of the 
family whose hospitality it enjoys, with a doll and 
some marbles which it stole from the baby ; and one 
of the ladies having shown it a musical toy, which 
she blew to attract its notice, the mimicking crea¬ 
ture at once snatched the toy from her hand, and 
immediately applied it to its mouth, endeavoring to 
produce the same -sounds, although without effect; 
whereupon it tried a like experiment on the doll — 
which it carries constantly under its arm—but with 
no better results. Another source of amusement is 
derived from a kitten belonging to the baby, the sight 
of which produced at first as much astonishment and 
curiosity as the interview between Monito and the 


326 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


squirrels brought about. Now they are as good friends 
as if they had known each other a lifetime ; so much 
so that the baby finds it difficult to separate her pussy 
from the dreaded monkey, which “Nini” abominates 
ever since Monito bit her badly, for want of experi¬ 
ence on her part in dealing with these spiteful crea¬ 
tures. 

It is a fact worthy of notice, that most monkeys, 
especially those of a higher grade, manifest on all oc¬ 
casions a strong attachment to young animals, espe¬ 
cially puppies and kittens, caressing and handling 
them with the same care that a human being bestows 
on the young of their own kind. I once obtained, in 
Costa Rica, a large female monkey of the ring-tail 
species, which, in intelligence and monerias (monkey 
tricks) surpassed any creature of this description I 
have yet seen or heard of; so much so that Herr Mul¬ 
ler, a German baker of San Jos^, who owned the pet, 
had given her the name of “ Panchita,” or Little 
Franees ; and so captivated was I too by Miss Pan- 
chita, that I at once entered into negotiations with 
the baker for her purchase. But of this more here¬ 
after in the Second Series of these sketches. 

Well, said Panchita was, like the rest of her class, 
particularly fond of puppies ; but not possessing suf¬ 
ficient discrimination to distinguish between the ages 
of animals, and judging of this only through their 
size, she seized, on one occasion, a small poodle, which 
happened to pass near her, mistaking it for a puppy, 
and pressing it to her breast with appropriate demon¬ 
strations of motherly solicitude, endeavored to induce 


MONKEY NOTIONS. 


327 


the dog to avail itself of the proffered donation ; hut 
a bite from the ungrateful chap warned the would-be 
nurse of the dangers arising from too close an inti¬ 
macy with strangers. Poor Panchita ! Having brought 
her along with me to New York, and placed her in 
Barnum's celebrated boarding-school for dumb beasts 
from all parts of the world, she shared the fate of the 
“ Happy Family ” during the disastrous fire which 
consumed that renowned establishment. 

As an instance of the affection and intelligence 
displayed by these singular creatures, I will mention 
here another South American monkey, from the Up¬ 
per Amazon river, of*which the indefatigable collector 
of natural history, Mr. Bates, says, alluding to one 
possessed by a neighbor of his at Ega : “ My friend 
was a tailor, and the little pet used to spend the 
greater part of the day seated on his shoulder, while 
he was at work on his board. It showed, neverthe¬ 
less, great dislike to strangers, and was not on good 
terms with any other member of my friend's house¬ 
hold than himself, I saw no monkey that showed so 
strong a personal attachment as this gentle, timid, 
silent little creature. The eager and passionate Cebi 
seem to take the lead of all South American monkeys 
in intelligence and docility, and the Coaitd has per¬ 
haps the most gentle and impressive disposition ; but 
the Parauacu, although a dull, cheerless animal, ex¬ 
cels all in this quality of capacity of attachment to 
individuals of our own species. * It is not wanting in 
intelligence as well as moral goodness, proof of which 
was furnished one day by an act of our little pet. My 


323 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

neighbor bad quitted his house in the morning, with- 
out taking Parauacu with him, and the little creature 
having missed its friend, and concluded, as it seemed, 
that be would be sure to come to me, both being in 
the habit of paying me a daily visit together, came 
straight to my dwelling, taking a short cut over gar¬ 
dens, trees, and thickets, instead of going the round¬ 
about way of the street. It had never done, this be¬ 
fore, and we knew the route it had taken only from a 
neighbor having watched its movements. On arriving 
at my house, and not finding its master, it climbed to 
the top of my table, and sat with an air of quiet resig¬ 
nation waiting for him. Shortly^afterwards my friend 
entered, and the gladdened pet then jumped to its 
usual perch on his shoulder.” 

I will conclude this chapter—already, I fear, too 
long—with some further remarks respecting the Sal¬ 
vage, or “ Wild Man of America,” as it is called by those 
who, to this day, believe that such nondescript —for no 
one seems to have ever seen it, except the footprints— 
exists in the wilds of Venezuela. Both Father Gumilla 
and Humboldt allude to the belief entertained by the 
* people of those regions in the existence of a great an¬ 
thropoid ape, which was reputed to build huts, carry 
oif women, and devour jealous husbands. It is curi¬ 
ous, however, to see how these two great expounders 
of nature’s wonders endeavor tor solve the mystery. 
While the philosopher of the nineteenth century ex¬ 
plains the “ fable,” £s he calls it, by suggesting the 
existence in these wilds of “ one of those large bears, 
the footprints of which resemble those of man, and 


MONKEY NOTIONS. 


329 


which are believed to carry off women/’ the devout 
philosopher of nearly two centuries ago boldly ascribes 
the doings of the dreaded creature to no other individ¬ 
ual than the Devil himself, ever anxious to do all pos¬ 
sible mischief among Christians, especially‘those of 
the newly-organized missions of the Upper Orinoco 
and Meta rivers ; in proof of this the good missionary 
father tells us that, “ On one occasion, the infernal 
voice was distinctly heard by Capt. Don Domingo Zor- 
rilla, a native of Rioja, in Spain, exhorting, from the 
top of a palm tree, the Gentile Indians, who were 
ready to come out of the forest and become good 
Christians, not to do it.” And, adds the credulous 
historian : “ Alarmed with this terrific noise, the 
valiant captain inquired of the.Christian cacique who 
accompanied him, from whence proceeded those fright¬ 
ful sounds ? to which the cacique replied, that these 
were the utterances of the Devil, which the captain 
believed to he true, so great was the internal horror 
which he felt ; and I too believed it, by the faith I 
had in the great veracity of said captain, and .other 
unmistakable proofs I perceived afterwards at the 
distance of only two leagues from the river Uhocd, all 
of which happened on thie 23d of February, 1716.” 

Notwithstanding the strong faith entertained by 
the narrator on the “ great veracity of the valiant 
captain,” I am of opinion that the roar of a well- 
organized hand of araguatos was mistaken on this 
occasion for the utterances of his Infernal Majesty. 

Still, the story of the Salvaje is not altogether 
discredited, even by scientific men of high standing; 


. 330 travels and adventures. 

among the latter I may mention the accomplished 
author of the “ Komance of Natural History/' who 
not only questions the authority of Humboldt in 
' denying the existence of a great anthropomorphous 
monkey in America, hut boldly comes in support of 
those who believe in this possible phenomena. I quote 
his words : “ But it might be permitted, in return, to 
ask what “ large bear” is known to inhabit Venezue¬ 
la ; and whether it is true that bears’ footsteps have 
a signal resemblance to those of men ; and that bears 
especially attack women. Is not such a bear in South 
America quite as gratuitous as the monkey himself ? 
And, since species of quadrumana are characteristic 
of the forests of that region, may it not be possible 
that some one rivalling man in stature and strength, 
may there exist, as well as in Africa and the Oriental 
Archipelago ? The mighty gorilla himself has only 
just.been introduced to us.” * 

* Gosse: The Romance of Natural History—First Series, p. 281. 




AMONG T[IE CROCODILES. 





























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































CHAPTER XX. 

AMONG THE CROCODILES. 

Having by this time completed our arrangements 
at Mata Totumo, we broke up our camp on the 15th 
of March and departed for Los Laureles, the ancient 
site of another cattle farm, now quite deserted, on the. 
banks of the river Matiyure. 

We found the house in ruins, and only a few re¬ 
maining posts marking the boundary of the former 
corrals. The first duty, therefore, was that of repair¬ 
ing the fences, an operation which necessitated sev¬ 
eral days’ hard labor. Meanwhile I found much en¬ 
joyment in exploring the woody banks of the river, 
the wildness of whose aspect had for me a peculiar- 
charm. They were my daily resort, where, encom¬ 
passed by the glorious solitude, I essayed to picture 
for others those lovely scenes which still perfume the 
shrine of memory in all their dewy freshness. To one 
who loves “ the cool sequestered haunts of Nature,” 
no spot could be more charming, nothing more in¬ 
spiring than to recline under the venerable shade of 
some wide-branched guamo uplooking to the many- 


332 ' travels and adventures. 

tinted clouds as they sweep in solemn majesty be¬ 
neath the bine veil of heaven,-and seem to melt into 
the tree tops in the distance—trees whose gigantic 
height and size, wall with magnificent vegetation the 
steep banks rising on either side of the river, mirrored 
in its tranquil surface. The harsh scream of the 
heron, or the ominous hootings of the tiger-owl, alone 
wake the echoes where else 

“ Ali things are c3,lin, and fair, and passive—Earth 
Looks as if lulled upon an angel’s lap 
Into a breathless, dewy sleep.” 

Yet is this beautiful river celebrated for the num¬ 
ber and size of its crocodiles. As I sat sketching on 
the banks, I could perceive them gliding slowly under 
the still waters, the upper part of the head alone 
visible, and seeming to watch me with an evil eye. 
The beach being strewn with their egg shells, I con¬ 
cluded this to be a favorite resort with them during 
the breeding season. The female lays about forty 
eggs in a hole which she digs in the sand, leaving to 
the hot sun the care of hatching them; These eggs, 
twice as large as those of the turkey, are considered a 
great delicacy by the Indians and jaguars, who fre¬ 
quently purloin them before they are hatched. 

The caricari is another great enemy of young croc¬ 
odiles, attacking them as they come out of the shell. 
After they betake themselves to the water, the older 
ones, prompted no doubt by motives of family pride 
to keep them within their own circle, swallow these 
tender members, thus preventing all other intimacies, 
^notwithstanding this admirable provision of Divine 


AMONG THE CROCODILES. 


333 

Wisdom, and a constant war maintained by man and 
beast against them, they are so numerous in some 
charcos of the river that, if stationary, -their bodies 



would completely bridge its surface from bank to 
bank. 

Despite their great voracity, the mother exhibits 
some degree of tenderness toward her offspring. Pos¬ 
sessed, in this case, of an instinct almost infallible, 
she returns at a period when incubation is completed, 
and assists her young in extricating themselves from 
the shell. Unlike the eggs of birds, crocodiles’ eggs 
are soft and pliable as those of the turtle, yielding, 
when handled, to the pressure of the fingers, yet so 
tough that it is difficult to break them, and in ap¬ 
pearance resembling white parchment. At the very 
moment of liberation, the young crocodiles display 
their savage nature in a wonderful degree, biting at 
every object within reach ; also the same vicious pro¬ 
pensity is exhibited by those extricated even before 
the completion of incubation. I was once greatly 
amused in watchiug a struggle between two caricaris 







334 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

and one of these youngsters not larger than a good- 
sized lizard. Each time the birds made a dash at 
him, this little saurian, grunting savagely, darted for¬ 
ward with wide-open jaws, looking for all the world 
like a young dragon. . During ten minutes the strug¬ 
gle continued without decided advantage on either 
side, when one of the assailants, changing his tactics, 
suddenly seized the crocodile by the neck with his 
sharp claws and soared triumphantly with him into 
high air. There loosing his hold, the bird followed 
his descent with wonderful rapidity, prepared, when 
he reached the ground, to repeat the blow; but 
already half stunned, the victim soon yielded to su¬ 
perior cunning. 

When the savannas are overflowed by the swollen 
rivers, these carnivorous and malicious reptiles spread 
themselves over the face of the country, committing 
great havoc among young animals. So destructive 
had they proved to the calves and foals on this estate, 
that the owner on one occasion offered a reward of 
half a dollar a head for every crocodile killed upon his 
lands, it being sufficient for the claimant to produce, 
in evidence of success, the two great tusks of the 
upper jaws. The result of this ukase was, that before 
the expiration of a month, more than four hundred 
crocodiles had been destroyed; yet no sensible dimi¬ 
nution was observable, neither did the persevering 
dragonade against them quench in the least their 
boldness. This expedient proving useless, they had 
been suffered to remain unmolested until our arrival 
at Los Laureles, when we determined to exterminate 
those at least which infested that pass of the river 


AMONG THE CROCODILES. 


385 


where we performed our daily ablutions and watered 
the horses. Accordingly, one day a party of us, well 
provided with every necessary, started for a bend of 
the river where the water appeared to be very still 
and deep. None of the usual angling implements 
were required in this sport; we used only a strong 
lazo and a hoop about three feet in diameter made 
from a light vine common on the banks of . these 
rivers. Around this hoop, the fresh lungs of a bul¬ 
lock, cut' into thin strips, were twisted and securely 
fastened. The running noose of the lazo was then 
laid over the bait and tied there with tendrils from 
the same vine. All being ready,, this simple decoy 
was launched into the. middle of the stream, we re¬ 
taining on shore the other end of the lazo. Aroused 
by the splash, two large crocodiles soon appeared and 
rushed for the bait with open jaws. The successful 
one, in his eagerness to escape with his prize, burst 
the slender vines that secured the noose to the hoop, 
* which last projected beyond his snout, and the noose 
on its recoil sliding over, firmly lazoed his upper jaw. 
With shouts of exultation we hastened to the assist¬ 
ance of the man who held the lazo, seeing him unable 
to cope with the monster, more than a. match for hfilf 
a dozen men. By our united efforts we finally suc¬ 
ceeded in dragging him to within a few feet of the 
embankment, when, catching sight of our earnest 
faces watching him over the cliff, he tossed up his 
head with such sudden violence as to pull the thong 
through our hands to its full length, and retreated in 
triumph to the middle of the stream. The tough 
hide, however, from which the thong was twisted, 


336 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


proved equal to the emergency, and with one more 
strenuous effort we succeeded in landing him upon 
the beach, while 

“ Le flot qui l’apporta, recule 6poavante.” 

Some of us who never before had so near a view 
of these vicious creatures, were astonished at its size 
and strength, and our Esculapius, assuming an appear¬ 
ance of bravery, approached among the first to con¬ 
template the vanquished foe, but evidently quaking 
with apprehension of the huge tusks before him. His 
terror at length proving stronger than the dread of 
his companions’ gibes, he seized the lazo, tugging 
with such desperate energy to close the fearful chasm 
that the thong slipped from his hands* he lost his 
balance, and the next moment found himself lying 
almost within reaeh of the still open jaws. From 
these, notwithstanding a considerable corporeal im¬ 
pediment, he escaped by springing with the agility of 
a cat up the embankment, where he remained, per¬ 
haps to ascertain whether the poet’s statement that 
“ distance lends*enchantment to the view,” was cor¬ 
rect by the crocodile case, before Mm. At length the 
object of his regards almost ceased struggling, sure 
sign that his strength was failingthen with one 
more pull we hauled him partially out of water, but 
no power could force him entirely therefrom, as each 
time on reaching the bank he braced his fore feet with 
unconquerable strength against it, so forcing himself 
back into the stream. In this predicament we had no 
other resource than to despatch him, and two or three 
sharp blows of a hatchet administered by the roguish 


AMONG THE CROCODILES. 


337 


Roseliano, severed the upper jaw, with its beautiful 
row of teeth, from the head, a surgical operation per¬ 
formed under the supervision of our eminent Escula- 
pius. The patient expired—no doubt to the Doctor’s 
relief—not on his hands, and the “subject” was 
abandoned to the myriads of caribes which, although 
their teeth could produce little impression upon his 
tough cuirass, feasted with avidity on his blood so 
long as it flowed from his mutilated head. 

We prepared a large supply of bait in like manner 
to the former, all of which was seized by the hungry 
crocodiles with the same fatal results to them. In the 
short space of three hours we succeeded in killing 
six large ones, and could no doubt have destroyed a 
greater number, had not the lazo been gnawed 
through by caribes, that pest of all rivers in this 
region. 

The Indians of the Orinoco river, where the croc¬ 
odiles are said to be still larger and more savage, if 
possible, than those of its tributary streams, make use 
of other devices for ridd’ug themselves of those at least 
that infest the places frequented by them. One of 
these contrivances is as novel as most of the produc¬ 
tions of their fertile imaginations are for ministering 
to their wants, and consists in shooting at the mon¬ 
sters’ eyes arrows tipped with a wild cane said to be 
very poisonous to crocodiles, so much so that a few 
minutes after they are seen floating on the water quite 
dead. Another device, equally effective, consists in 
securing a strong rope, or lazo, to the middle of a short 
but stout stick of hard wood, which is then covered up 
with a large fish or piece of meat, and thrown in the 


338 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


water : not many minutes elapse before the crocodile 
seizes and swallows the bait, stake and all, when it is 
quickly hauled on shore by means of the lazo in the 
hands of the Indians. 

By way of sport, these people avail themselves of 
the same artifice to torear , as they call it, a crocodile 
on shore when sunning itself, but this time without 
the bait, as the man alone is sufficient allurement to 
rouse the monster's appetite, especially if it is a man- 
eater ( cebado ), the only improvement made on the 
stake being that of sharpening both ends of it. The 
Indian now seizes the stick by the middle, and fear¬ 
lessly approaches the crocodile, which at once makes a 
dash at its antagonist with its jaws wide open ; but 
the toreador easily evades the onset by stepping aside 
a little, as the reptile, on account of the configuration 
of its spine, cannot turn round upon him, except after 
describing a long circle; a second and a third onset 
are equally unsuccessful, as the sportsman purposely 
avoids the collision by moving off when the animal 
comes up close to him. Having by this time proved 
his dexterity the Indian gives it the coup de grace 
by plunging the stick in a vertical position into the 
ghastly jaws of the fierce monster, which, feeling con¬ 
fident of crushing its enemy this time between its 
powerful tusks, shuts them with a. crash which only 
assists in forcing both ends of the stake into the up¬ 
per and lower jaws ; thus transfixed, the once terror 
of the river now becomes the sport of the Indian 
boys, who eagerly seize upon the thong, and ignomin- 
iously drag the reptile powerless over the sand. 

Our men secured a large supply of fat from the 


AMONG THE CROCODILES. 


339 


intestinal membrane of the crocodiles: a sovereign 
remedy for braises and cutaneous diseases among 
horses. By exposing this fat to the sun, in horns 
slightly punctured at the end, a fine oil equal to that 
of the whale, is obtained by percolation and collected 
in basins placed under the horns. 

Selecting the jaws of the dead crocodiles contain¬ 
ing the finest tusks, we distributed the latter among 
our friends for tinder boxes and amulets. It is uni¬ 
versally believed throughout the Llanos that the 
tusks, when worn next the flesh of man or beast, will 
preserve the wearer from the poison of snakes, espe¬ 
cially if obtained on Good Friday. For this reason 
the smaller ones, set in gold or silver, are worn sus¬ 
pended from the rosaries which form one of the prin¬ 
cipal ornaments of the people in those parts. It is 
further believed that rings made of the same material 
will apprise the wearer, of poison mixed in any 
draught by causing an instantaneous effervescence 
of the liquid. The supposed efficacy of these poten¬ 
tial talismans was once peculiarly tested in our own 
camp. 

Among the few luxuries carried by our commis¬ 
sariat into the Llanos was a basket of champagne, 
which was reserved for state occasions. One after¬ 
noon, while almost every person was enjoying his 
siesta, the temptation seized one of our men to search 
for aguardiente among th Qjpetacas. Ills good fortune 
discovered to him our little treasure of champagne, 
and grabbing a bottle he at once commenced cutting 
with his dagger the wires that secured the cork. Up 
this flew at last with a loud report, which broke the 


340 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


dead silence of the camp and started to their feet 
more than one drowsy slumberer. 

Our thief, seeing the profuse effervescence gushing 
out with great force, endeavored at first to arrest it 
by clapping his hands over the mouth of the bottle; 
but suddenly recollecting that he had on one of those 
mysterious tusk-rings, the suspicion flashed to his 
mind of poison intended for el amo , the master; and 
when in addition to this the bewildered knave per¬ 
ceived that apparently the more he endeavored to 
confine the liquid, so much more it frothed and bub¬ 
bled, he was overpowered with terror, shrieking out 
in an ecstasy of horror, “ Ave Maria Purisima! 
Help ! Help ! cristianos ; this aguardiente must be 
poisoned, or else the devil is in it.” 

’ On hearing these cries, every one sprang from his 
hammock, imagining the camp attacked by a band 
of malhechores , and the would-be thief was thus 
caught in the very act. 

As he was, however, out of his wits wfith fright, 
he escaped with only a mild reprimand, the* more 
especially that we enjoyed several hearty laughs at 
his expense. Futile were our efforts at convincing 
the frightened fellow that champagne was very good 
drink; he evidently distrusted all our assertions. 
Some was then poured out and drank, and the bottle 
passed round ; but when it came to his turn, he per¬ 
sistently refused to touch it. On being asked whether 
his surprise and repugnance arose from seeing the 
liquid rushing out of the bottle, his reply was, “ Oh, 
no, Senores ; I am not surprised to see it coming out, 
but how the devil did it get in ? ” 


AMONG THE CROCODILES. 


841 


With the intention of finishing a sketch of one of 
the crocodiles, I next day revisited the battle field, 
and to my surprise discovered the absence of one of 
the dead bodies ; but presently perceived the mailed 
carcass floating at some distance on the water. I was 
for some time at a loss to discover what had occa¬ 
sioned his change of position, and I finally concluded 
that its comrades must have given him honorable in¬ 
terment in the deep. Desiring to ascertain, if pos¬ 
sible, the facts of the case, I determined to conceal 
myself near by and keep close watch. I had been in 
hiding only a few moments when at least half a 
dozen crocodiles approached the deceased, not, as I 
had imagined, to mourn his loss, but to feast upon 
the many fish in their turn gorging themselves upon 
the body. Then, almost to my horror, I beheld these 
monster insatiates rend in pieces and devour the mel¬ 
ancholy remains of the dear defunct with grunts of 
revolting satisfaction. Nor did I perceive in this case 
any of those “ crocodile tears ” w T ith which travellers 
tell us it is their hypocritical habit to bedew the head 
of a human victim. It is said that when they have 
devoured a man, finding themselves unable to swal¬ 
low his head, they convey it to some secluded spot 
on the river banks, there to weep over and bewail 
their inability with cries which make night hideous. 

The size and appearance of crocodiles must be 
sometimes most extraordinary, if we may credit our 
adventurous friend B., who boasted so intimate an 
acquaintance with .their habits, that one could easily 
imagine such familiarity might breed contempt. 
Judge, O reader, if I speak not truly. 


342 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


He related that one day, having labored success¬ 
fully until noon in his piscatory pursuit, overcome 
by fatigue and the intense heat of a tropical sun, he 
turned his longing eyes toward shore in search of 
some friendly shelter; but perceiving that, between 
him and the only copse of trees which relieved the 
glaring scene, there stretched a dreary waste of burn¬ 
ing sand, he had not courage to traverse, even to reach 
so tempting a goal—he sought a refuge more acces¬ 
sible. This to his great joy he just then discovered in 
the form of what appeared to be the wreck of an old 
canoe thrown on its side near the water’s edge. Here 
was a cool retreat wherein to enjoy his siesta; so 
hastening toward it, his satisfaction was complete on 
finding it sufficiently capacious to admit of slinging 
to the protruding ribs his chinchorro, or grass ham¬ 
mock, which, with his guitar and gourd of aguar¬ 
diente, were his inseparable companions. Refreshing 
himself with a good pull at the gourd, and stretching 
himself in his hammock, he soon slept the profound 
sleep of the weary. He awoke to find himself envel¬ 
oped in a darkness which he might have supposed 
that of midnight, but that it was unrelieved by moon 
or friendly star. Completely bewildered, he sought 
a clew to this dark mystery by moving forward with 
cautious steps and extended hands, uncertain into 
what horror his next movement might betray him, 
when his surprised attention was attracted, first to 
the spongy nature of the ground, then to the clammy 
yet warm and sticky walls that on all sides encoun¬ 
tered his extended fingers. The discovery of these 
facts was accompanied by the very unpleasant con- 


CROCODILE BASKING IN THE SUN. 




















































































































































































































AMONG THE CROCODILES. 


848 


viction that he had mistaken the open jaws of some 
sleeping crocodile for an old bongo. However, with 
his recovery from the first shock of surprise returned 
the stoicism so characteristic of his race, wdiich was 
the more entirely reinstated by finding his well-filled 
gourd with his beloved guitar lying near. Notwith¬ 
standing, however, a reviving draught from the for¬ 
mer, he soon became conscious of a void in his inter¬ 
nal economy, which he at once determined to fill at 
Mr. Crocodile’s expense ; thereupon drawing his 
knife, he without the least compunction made a meal 
from the tenderest morsels within reach. And so 
eating, drinking, sleeping and tuning his diminutive 
guitar to the cheering strains of some lively ballad of 
the Llanos, he remained for days, he knew not how 
many, an uncomplaining prisoner within those slimy 
walls. At length, while mournfully draining the last 
remaining drop within his faithful gourd, his dungeon 
walls were suddenly made visible to him by a faint 
ray of light which penetrated his very soul with the 
desire once more to behold its source. Snatching at 
the dear companions of his imprisonment, without 
another moment’s delay he rushed for the opening 
that admitted the life-giving ray, and discovered to 
his delighted surprise that his jailer, having deserted 
the water for a siesta upon the sands—which he recol¬ 
lected was the occasional habit of these monsters— 
had left wide-open his prison doors. These he lost 
no time in passing, seizing with firm hand as he flew, 
his chincliorro , still suspended from the crocodile’s 
tusks he had so almost fatally mistaken for the ribs 
of an old canoe. 


CHAPTER XXI. 


THE CIMAEEONEEA. 

We had been apprised that between a great bend 
of the river Matiyure—forming the southern bound¬ 
ary of our savannas—and an extensive flat overgrown 
with thorny bushes, there existed what the Llaneros 
call a cimarronera , or great hiding place for cattle, 
which, owing to the impenetrable nature of the jun¬ 
gle, had from time immemorial- baffled the efforts of 
every majordomo who had hunted these savannas. 
Further we had ascertained that the cattle were there 
as numerous as a colony of ants ; but so savage and 
shy, as to never venture from their wild sanctuary. 
Thither our efforts were to .be directed, not only on 
account of the good harvest in store, but also for the 
purpose of breaking up, if possible, that den of runa¬ 
ways which, if left unmolested, might in time become 
a serious obstacle in the way of reducing those w T ild 
herds to at least a partial submission. 

The corrals, which I trust the patient reader has 
not forgotten we were in process of building, being 
now ready, we commenced preparations for a descent 


THE CIMARRONERA. 


345 


upon the fierce hordes of that neglected section. Mes¬ 
sengers were therefore despatched to the people of 
Caucagua, an adjacent cattle farm, apprising them of 
our intention, and with the dawn of day more than 
an hundred hunters were assembled on the spot. 
Among them were some of the best enlazadores that 
v the country could produce, all of whom, like the val¬ 
iant Pentapolin—chosen model of the hero of La 
Mancha—had his right arm bared to the shoulder 
that the wide sleeve of the Llanero shirt might not 
interfere with the management of the lazo. 

As soon as .the sun was high enough to light us 
through the bushes, a detachment of hunters pene¬ 
trated the bristling maze of thorny acacias, and suc¬ 
ceeded in driving out into the open savannas so large 
a herd of cattle that it soon swelled to a considerable 
rodeo. No sooner, however, did they discover the 
presence of the hunters, than becoming frantic they 
rushed from side to side like a band of furies, and, 
heedless of the shouts and goads of the horsemen, 
broke at length through the ring of even these expe¬ 
rienced hunters, scattering again in all directions. In 
vain did the fearless pursuers throw themselves be¬ 
tween the wild mass and the jungle; so rapid and 
entire was the dispersion that the plain which but 
now swarmed with the driven, bellowing, maddened, 
creatures, was cleared as if by magic, leaving the dis¬ 
appointed hunters in sole possession. Only here and 
there a faint cloud of dust in the distance betrayed 
the course that some of the fugitives had taken. The 
men, enraged at this unexpected discomfiture, could 
not be restrained from again entering the tangled 


846 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


labyrinth and dragging thence by sheer force a num¬ 
ber of the refractory brutes. After deliberation, it 
was decided that several of the hunters should scour 
the plain in search of the runaways, while the larger 
number rushed again fearlessly into the jungle. 
These at last succeeded in securing several fierce 
bulls, each of which was treated secundum artem , de¬ 
priving them of the chance of doing much mischief in 
future ; for no sooner were they down, than the knife 
and the saw were busy with their horns, ears, Ac. 
But the business was not accomplished without the 
usual average of casualties in these contests, and on 
that occasion one of our best hands was greatly im¬ 
perilled. A ferocious bull was undergoing the usual 
precautionary, though severe measures, for his sub¬ 
jugation, when one of the men standing near, acci¬ 
dentally became entangled in the coils of the lazo at 
a moment when the bull, infuriated, escaped from 
those who held him. The poor fellow, although 
thrown violently to the ground and severely stunned, 
almost miraculously escaped further injury. The 
daring Sarmiento, one of those who witnessed the 
transaction, enraged at sight of his helpless compan¬ 
ion, sprang from his horse, seized the sheep-skin 
which covered the saddle, and holding it before him¬ 
self, fearlessly advanced sword in hand to meet the 
bull, which, not comprehending the challenge, stood 
panting and trembling with rage before his bold ad¬ 
versary. The matador perceiving this, approached 
him more closely and shook the sheep-skin in the 
animal’s face; then, firm as a rock, he stood and 
dauntlessly awaited the coming struggle ; it was 


THE CIMARRONERA. 


347 


enough ; with head lowered to the ground, and lash¬ 
ing himself furiously with his powerful tail, the bull 
rushed upon his antagonist with a terrific roar, causing 
every heart to tremble for the safety of the bold mat¬ 
ador. Then we heard a heavy fall, a deep groan; 
we saw only a cloud of dust that concealed the scene; 
but we knew the Llanero had conquered. Trium¬ 
phant shouts of approbation filled the air, whilst I 
knew not whether most to applaud the fearless grace 
with which the man had stood his ground before this, 
the most powerful of all infuriate creatures, or the 
dexterous celerity that had found, and with one fatal 
blow penetrated, the narrow passage through the ver¬ 
tebrae into the spinal marrow. But the scene in that 
remote corner of the earth recalled forcibly to my 
mind the spirited lines in which the author of Childe 
Harold thus depicts one of like nature in the midst 
of refined Europe: 

“ Foiled, bleeding, breathless, furious to the last, 

Full in the centre stands the bull at bay 
Mid wounds and clinging darts and lances brast, 

And foes disabled in the brutal fray: 

And now the matadors around him play, 

Shake the red cloak, and poise the ready brand: 

Once more through all he bursts his thundering way— 

Yain rage! the mantle quits the conynge hand, 

Wraps his fierce eye—’tis past—he sinks upon, the sand! ” 


Those who had galloped off in search of the scat¬ 
tered herd finally returned, bringing a large addition 
to the stock, and we were driving them to the para- 
dero , when our Leader’s horse, a fiery charger of the 


348 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Goagiro breed,* little accustomed to the broken 
ground of the pampas, lost his footing and fell with 
him w T hile endeavoring to clear an extensive terro- 
nero. Fortunately his rider received no injury ; but 
loosing hold of the bridle in his fall, the horse "was 
soon careering over the plain, and would inevitably 
have made good his escape, had not some vaqueros 
hunting in that direction encountered and captured 
him after a long race. Accidents of the kind are 
very common in the Llanos, and often in consequence 
many persons are killed or otherwise injured. The 
least evil to wdiich the ousted rider may be subjected, 
is that of being left alone, perhaps with a dislocated 
limb, on an extensive plain, where the unfortunate 
may perish from hunger or exposure before assistance 
chances to' reach him. Our friend B., who once 
found himself similarly circumstanced, related to us 
on this occasion the adventure, which he swore by 
all the saints in the calendar had actually occurred 
to him. Notwithstanding such exalted referees, a 
few grains of doubt still disturbed our belief. 

“ He was once,” he said, “ engaged in hunting 
with a party of vaqueros on the extensive savannas 
of Merecure, which form the great cajon or pampa 
between the rivers Cunaviche and Arauca, Having 
started in the morning with a full complement of 
men, there was no difficulty in forming the rodeo ; 
but, as in our own case, all their manoeuvres proved 
ineffectual in keeping together so great a number of 
untamed brutes, which finally broke through the 

* Raised by a warlike tribe of Indians inhabiting the peninsula of 
La Goagira, on the Gulf of Maracaibo. 


THE CIMARRONERA. 


349 


ranks as easily as might a herd of wild hogs through 
a field of reeds, and vanished in the distance. So 
great was the cloud of dust they raised, that w r hen it 
cleared, B., whose horse during the confusion had 
stumbled in the hole of a prairie-owl, thrown, and 
then deserted him, found himself solus in the midst 
of the wide pampa, and so bewildered and confused 
by the general stampede, that he was totally unable 
to discover the least clew by which to guide his steps 
over those trackless wilds. Overcome with the fa¬ 
tigue of his useless search, he threw himself upon the 
ground, finally quite disheartened by the recollection 
that he had no lazo by which he would have been 
enabled at any time to secure sufficient animal food 
for his subsistence. Two whole days he thus passed 
hopelessly Wandering and in search, of food, when, 
upon the third, kind Providence, compassionating his 
sufferings, placed in his way a fat calf, which he suc¬ 
ceeded in capturing after a short chase. Having 
slaughtered it, he roasted the whole at once lest it 
might spoil, then ravenously devoured the welcome 
repast. This supply lasted several days, when again 
finding himself minus food, he determined to put in 
practice a stratagem that he had devised w’hereby to 
secure for himself in future an unfailing supply 
of wholesome nourishment. He had observed the 
mother of the calf, apparently in search of her off¬ 
spring, lingering in the neighborhood, moaning and 
bellowing in a most piteous manner. Availing him¬ 
self of the first eligible opportunity, he approached 
her on all fours, entirely covered with the skin of her 
own calf, and forthwith commenced drawing suste- 


350 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


nance from tlie maternal fount; this he accomplished 
with so much natural ease and grace, that the tender 
mother, after a few incredulous sniffs, felt convinced 
at last of his being a perfect calf, and accepting him 
for her own, bestowed upon him a good licking. Thus 
graciously encouraged, and each day more delighted 
with the unrestrained freedom of his new life, time 
rolled on and a year elapsed without his ever regret¬ 
ting the loss of home or friends; while so powerful 
was the effect of this novel mode of existence upon 
his person, that it had materially altered his whole 
appearance, and as the calf skin seemed to have ac¬ 
tually adhered to his own, so he found himself rapidly 
assimilating, as well in tastes as habits, to that inter¬ 
esting quadruped. 

About this period the majordomo undertook 
another hunt on these plains, where he quickly suc¬ 
ceeded in collecting a large number of cattle; but 
although they were all, as usual, extremely difficult 
to manage, still there was one of the number, a 
young bull with a fine pair of horns twelve inches 
long, more refractory and troublesome than any of 
the others, which fact—as B. was the bull—was owing 
probably to his educated instincts, they enabling him 
to devise a variety of expedients for the discomfiture 
of his pursuers. However he was at length obliged 
to yield to superior numbers, and the unerring lazo 
finally brought him struggling to the ground, when 
in an instant one of his captors, an athletic sambo, 
had drawn his knife and commenced sharpening it 
upon the horns of this novel minotaurus, preparatory 
to performing upon him the usual necessary oper- 


THE CIMARRONERA. 


351 


ations. But what language can do justice.to the as¬ 
tonishment of all beholders, when the apparent bull, 
easting aside his hairy disguise, sprang erect from the 
ground, exclaiming as he did so: “ Stop, amigos ! 
can you have forgotten your old comrade B., who 
was lost a year ago in this cimarronera f ” 

So perilous an adventure having convinced him of 
the risks attending a savage life, his companions had 
no difficulty in persuading him to return home with 
them, and thereafter found him of immense assistance 
in their expeditions, as, being perfectly familiar with 
the haunts and habits of the cattle in that cover, he 
could lead the vaqueros, when required, with the 
sagacity of a pointer. 

This story, which B. related with the most admir¬ 
able ingenuousness of manner, recalled to his recol¬ 
lection a wonderful discovery upon which he had 
chanced, while journeying on a pressing errand to 
Arauca. 

He had been riding hard all day across the plains, 
until at length, overtaken by night, he was constrained 
to encamp on the spot. Grass and -water for his 
horse—a fine trotter—being abundant and at hand, he 
took no precaution to prevent his straying, other than 
that of fastening the animal’s feet on the right side 
with a manea , a strap with looped nooses at both ends. 
In spite of this the horse wandered from him during 
the night, a mishap which compelled poor B. to finish 
the remainder of the journey on foot, besides being 
obliged to carry the ponderous saddle upon his head. 

Having accomplished his errand at Arauca, and 
after an absence of several weeks, he was returning 


352 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


home by another route, riding a hired animal, when 
to his great joy, on the way he found his steed in fine 
condition, and his feet still secured by the strap. The 
horse he was riding being already tired, he removed 
the saddle to the back of his own steed, and imme¬ 
diately mounted him. But to his overpowering as¬ 
tonishment, he discovered, on resuming the journey, 
that the gait of his horse had undergone an extraor¬ 
dinary change, trotting as formerly on the side that 
had remained free from the strap, but ambling on the 
one which had been so long confined by it. His wife 
possessing an ambler, he sold it immediately he 
reached home, it being thereafter a useless expense, as, 
whenever in the future he and his better half wished 
to ride at the same time, all that he had to do was to 
place her on the ambling side, and then seating him¬ 
self on the other they trotted and ambled away to 
their hearts’ content. 

The nights were thus pleasantly spent, after the 
fatigues of the day, most of our men having always 
some incident or story to relate in connection with 
their own experience. One evening, Gaspar, the lame 
negro who followed our camp in the humble capacity 
of washerman, recounted to a circle of admiring lis¬ 
teners a thrilling adventure which took place on this 
very spot, and in which he took a very conspicuous 
part. He had been a slave to the wealthy Manuel 
Blanco, who owned at that time nearly all these sa¬ 
vannas, and possessed in consequence untold wealth 
in cattle and horses. In that capacity Gaspar was 
often compelled to attend the great hunts undertaken 
by his master against any tigre cebado that might 
have committed depredations in the land. 


THE JAGUAR HUNT. 


853 


THE JAGUAR HUNT. 

“ It was during the month of August/' said Gas- 
par, (i when the savannas are at the height of inunda¬ 
tion, that the circumstances I am about to relate 
occurred at this farm of Matiyure. At such times 
the tigers, finding the low lands rather too damp for 
their delicate feet, seek refuge among the matas , or 
in the immediate vicinity of the farm-house, coming 
out at night to procure a good supper for themselves 
and cubs from amongst the herds congregated on the 
bancos , and not unfrequentjy it happens they carry 
their depredations to the very gates of the majada. 

“ We had heard for several nights in succession 
what, in the opinion of our people, was only the bel¬ 
lowing of padrotes assembling their herds, but which 
the more sagacious hounds recognized at once as the 
roar of their old acquaintance, the tiger, invariably 
answering each time with a prolonged and dismal 
howl. It was«easy to perceive, from the prints left in 
the mud, that there were several of these animals, 
perhaps a mother and her cubs. One fine morning 
the boys who tended the calves apprised the major- 
domo that some wild beast had broken into the 
chiquero* and carried off the old sow, about giving 
birth to a litter; next day the boar was missing, and 
so on until the chiquero was entirely relieved of all the 
inmates. Fearing for our own lives and the safety of 


* The pig-pen. 


354 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


our steeds, the majordomo made arrangements for a 
grand hunt, for the purpose of exterminating, if pos¬ 
sible, the whole of these marauders. Our master, who 
was at that time in the village, was notified of the 
plan, as were also all those who might wish to improve 
this opportunity for the display of personal prowess. 

“ The following day we had the satisfaction of see¬ 
ing our master arrive at the farm, accompanied by the 
Padre and a long retinue of assistants, all of them 
zanibos of undoubted courage and most accomplished 
matadors. The Padre , a fat little gentleman not yet 
past the prime of life, came more as a curioso * than, 
as many supposed, to exorcise the demons of the jun¬ 
gle. Although he had the reputation of being a very 
holy father, he did not disdain at times to lay aside 
the cassock and join his parishioners in the manly 
sport of the Llanos. 

“We mustered about forty in all, which, together 
with a dozen or more tiger-dogs, were considered quite 
sufficient for our purpose. Some of the men carried 
lances cut to within six feet of the steel head, so that 
the long shaft might not interfere with their move¬ 
ments in the jungle ; whilst others, trusting more to 
their own agility and skill, were simply armed with 
their swords and a saleo j* to cover their movements. 
I, who was neither a matador nor a great horseman at 
the time, was intrusted with the hazardous post of 
leading the dogs into the cover, and therefore was 
more exposed than any of the rest to the anger of the 
tiger. 


* Amateur. 


f Sheep-skin. 


THE JAGUAR HUNT. 


355 


“We were not long in tracking the pintado to a 
neighboring mata by the fresh prints of his paw in the 
soft mud and by a number of turkey-buzzards hover¬ 
ing above the carcass in the woods. 

u On arriving at the place supposed to harbor the 
beast, all those of our men who had lazos were sta¬ 
tioned at convenient distances around the wood, 
while I was ordered to lead the dogs into the jungle 
after the concealed enemy. This I accomplished with 
due precautions, aware, as you all know, that the pin¬ 
tado has the peculiarity of concealing himself where 
not even a fox could hide itself without being discov¬ 
ered. Presently I perceived a very strong smell—not 
unlike that arising from a leather vat—which filled 
the air in whatever direction the dogs led me, and 
soon after a tremendous howling from these worthies 
apprised me in whose company they had thrust me. 
Simultaneously with the howling of the dogs, I heard 
first a hoarse growling, not unlike a concert of ara- 
guatos just before the rain, and, judging from the in¬ 
creased barking of the hounds, I concluded that the 
enemy was in full retreat, when I thought my time 
had come to show him my mettle. But lo ! scarcely 
had I advanced many paces, when, Ave Maria , 
Senores ! the tiger gave such a fearful roar as to shake 
the ground and the trees upon it. I do not know 
what became of the dogs or the tiger at the moment; 
for my part, all I can say is, that, without being aware 
of it, I found myself again alongside of my com¬ 
panions, and, what was worse, in the presence of the 
majordomo, who, by way of warning, discharged upon 


356 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


my ribs sundry blows with bis chaparro . It is need¬ 
less to add, that after this I considered myself ten 
times better off amidst my hounds, whom I had every 
reason to expect would keep away the beast from me, 
I mean, of course, the tiger. Upon my word, cama- 
radas , and with all due respect to mi Gomandante 
Ravago, here present, I assure you that, of all savage 
creatures, there is none so terrible as an angry major- 
domo.” 

“ Thou didst find it so,” retorted the weather-beaten 
overseer, “ when, amidst a shower of bullets from the 
Spaniards, I dragged thee out like a lame duck from 
the plaza at La Cruz ; but proceed, my old buzzard, 
and tell us what effect did the well-deserved thrashing 
produce on thy sooty hide.” 

<c Guided by the barking of the dogs, I again en¬ 
tered the wood with renewed determination, for this 
time, at least, I was well provided with a lance, which 
some humane companion placed in my hands, besides 
a saleo which I picked up on my way thither. Thus 
armed and prepared for the encounter, I fancied my¬ 
self this time another Marcelino, slaying everything 
around me ; but how I acquitted myself afterwards 
the sequel of my narrative will show you. 

“ Well, Senores , I found Tio Tigre * at the foot of 
a large algarroba-tree, surrounded by my dogs, whose 
movements he watched all the time with an evil eye. 
To all appearances none of the conteuding parties 
had yet come to any decisive move, although the 


For explanation, see page 231. 


THE JAGUAR HUNT. 


857 


hounds kept very closely on him. Cat-like, seated 
on his haunches and playfully moving his tail from 
side to side,, he awaited the attack of the barking 
troop with becoming composure, never betraying the 
least symptom of alarm, nor even deigning to stir a 
foot beyond his post to silence them. At times he 
even appeared to disregard their menacing tone, rub¬ 
bing his eyes with his great paws as if doubtful which 
of my fat hounds would afford him the best meal. 
Occasionally he licked his thick upper lip with his 
fiery tongue, as if savoring beforehand the unexpected 
morsel thus brought before him. Finally one of the 
dogs, which appeared more courageous than the rest, 
made a sudden spring at his side, when I thought my 
time had come to plunge my lance into his vitals. 
But before I could measure the distance that sepa¬ 
rated me from the enemy, I had the mortification to 
see my brave companion stretched lifeless on the 
ground. This, I thought, was a bad beginning ; but 
if ever I have a chance at thy dirty skin (said I to 
the villain), I am going to dye it of a different hue. 

“ My dogs, however, were not to be intimidated so 
easily after this unexpected discomfiture : on the con¬ 
trary, growing more and more clamorous all the time 
for the fate of their companion, they seemed deter¬ 
mined on avenging his death by renewing their at¬ 
tacks upon the enemy. The tiger, however, conscious, 
no doubt, of the fate that awaited him beyond his 
lair, obstinately refused to be driven out like a pole¬ 
cat, but adhered firmly to his entrenchment at the 
foot of the tree. 


358 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


“Now, there was among my pack of hounds a 
splendid fellow which had always been a particular 
favorite of mine, not only on account of his superior 
strength in dealing with refractory bulls, but also for 
his friendly attachment to my person, which he had 
displayed more especially whenever the majordomo 
showed himself overzealous on behalf of my master by 
an undue punishment on me. Observing that the 
tiger still persisted in maintaining his position, I said 
to Fierabras—for such was my favorite's name—Now 
then, my boy, show him your teeth ! while I ad¬ 
vanced two or three steps with the intention of pin¬ 
ning the animal with my lance to the body of the 
tree. But alas ! vain attempt : with one stroke from 
his huge paw, the tiger snatched the lance from my 
hands, and laid me flat on the ground, inflicting at 
the same time the severe gash on my neck that you 
may still observe. But that is not all; as the scoun¬ 
drel, disregarding all the rules of decency and polite¬ 
ness, very coolly sat himself upon my face, nearly suffo¬ 
cating me with the weight of his body and the strong 
exhalations arising from it. I thought that if I could 
get at my cucliillo , which I carried by my side, I 
would soon get the pride out of him ; but in the sit¬ 
uation I then was, it would have been impossible and 
even hazardous to attempt anything of the kind. 
Fortunately the tiger, like his near relative, the cat, 
seldom worries his’victims as long as they keep per¬ 
fectly still. By this time some of my friends outside 
—not hearing the loud whoops by which I encouraged 
the dogs, and fearing something serious might havo 


THE JAGUAR HUNT. 


359 ’ 


happened to me—hastened to the spot from whence 
proceeded the barking of the dogs, and endeavored to 
rescue me from my perilous situation. The tangled 
nature of the wood, however, not permitting the men 
to use their lazos, one of my companions—a slave, like 
myself, and a most daring matador—resolved to attack 
the tiger with his sword. Seizing the sheep-skin from 
the seat of his saddle, and partly rolling it on his left 
arm, he advanced boldly upon the tiger, and, with a 
voice that I shall never forget, he cried out : ‘ Now, 
then, Jiijo ’una put .... you don't know who Pau¬ 
lino Blanco is, or else you would not be making faces 
at me there as if you were a monkey.' The tiger, who 
most likely had, during his nocturnal visits to the 
farm-house, heard something about the famous ma¬ 
tador,, very wisely disregarded the insult flung at him, 
instead of rushing on to his encounter like a mad bull. 
This somewhat disconcerted the plans of the matador, 
who was also aware of the danger of attacking the 
beast in his intrenchment ; but finally losing all man¬ 
ner of patience, Paulino made a rush on the tiger, not 
stopping until he almost touched the animal's nose 
with the sheep-skin ; then plunging his sword in the 
neck of his antagonist, both fell rolling on the ground, 
cracking the brushwood as they struggled. In the 
meantime I was not slow in improving the opportu¬ 
nity to crawl out in search of my lost lance, which I 
soon found, and was enabled by means of it to return 
the service rendered by my companion. To plunge 
the lance into the beast's heart and turn him on his 
side, was the work of a moment, after which the tiger 


360 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


gradually relaxed his hold upon my prostrate com¬ 
panion, and stretched himself out to die without a 
groan, but not before he had inflicted several deep 
wounds on the neck and chest of his antagonist. 
Thus ended the career of that scourge of the savan¬ 
nas; and my first experience in tiger-hunting. 

“ After this adventure it was easy to perceive that 
chasing the tiger on his own ground was notf an easy 
task by any means. Therefore our people were in¬ 
duced to proceed more cautiously in the subsequent 
search that was made for the others. 

“ It was not long before the dogs, which were by this 
time aroused to a sense of revenge and self-defence, 
fell in with the track of another tiger, probably the 
wife of the defunct, as it was evident from the foot¬ 
prints that she was followed by two younger - ones. 
Fearing from past experience that this second hunt 
might also prove as disastrous as the former, it was 
agreed that all those who carried lances should enter 
the wood on foot in order to attack the tigress in a 
body, should she refuse to come out to open ground. 
I, of course, was too faint with loss of blood to be able 
to follow up the trail this time ; therefore the dogs 
had been placed under the guidance of some one else^ 
and shortly after I had the satisfaction of hearing the 
bark of my chaps resounding through the woods, 
which was a sure sign they had brought the game to 
a stand. I was expecting every moment to hear the 
glad tidings of the destruction of this female ma¬ 
rauder, when, instead of the usual cry of victory, I 
heard a tremendous rush and cracking of sticks, as if 


THE JAGUAR HUNT. 


861 


a herd of wild hogs were endeavoring to escape. 
Judge of my disappointment when I beheld the whole 
troop of men and dogs hurrying out of the wood ; and 
at the head of the fugitives no less a personage than 
his Reverence the Padre, hotly chased by the enraged 
tigress, who, having witnessed the slaughter in cold 
blood of one of her darlings, could not restrain her 
fury any longer, charging headlong into the midst of 
the group. In spite of his category, she would in all 
probability have made short work of Su Seiioria , had 
not the Padre conceived the good idea of dropping his 
broad-brim behind him, which fortunately was carried 
away by a strong gust of wind, thus exciting the en¬ 
raged beast to a pursuit. The tigress, after sporting 
with the hat like a bird after a butterfly, finding that 
it was mere chaff, tore it in pieces, and again turned 
her attention towards the reverend fugitive. In the 
meantime the Padre had not been very slow in reach¬ 
ing his horse, which was tied at the foot of a caujaro- 
tree a short distance from the wood. Unfortunately, 
just as he was in the act of laying hands upon the 
bridle of his steed, the tigress issued from amongst the 
high grass, and again charged him. At sight of the 
dreaded beast, the horse, giving a toss to the halter in 
the air, broke loose and seampered off, leaving his 
master to the tenffer mercies of the tigress. 

“ Swifter than a monkey, and in spite of his pon¬ 
derous stomach, the Padre went up the slender tree, 
which bent like a reed at every effort he made to reach 
the branches, threatening to drop him between the 
open jaws of the tigress, which by this time had 
16 


362 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


reached the foot of the tree. Here, again, his patron 
saint, as it is alleged, saved him once more from the 
impending danger. The truth, in my opinion, is that 
the tree was not stout enough for the tigress to em¬ 
brace it firmly to climb up, otherwise all the good 
6aints in heaven would not have prevented her from 
tearing him down like a frightened araguato* His 
Reverence might have remained there until the day 
of judgment, as the tigress had already crouched be¬ 
neath the tree, and he had no means at hand for 
driving her off, not even through the power of excom¬ 
munication, but for the timely arrival of two enlaza- 
dores ,f who, observing a horse scampering over the 
plain without a rider, were attracted to the spot ; 
these, unfolding their lazos, threw them at the beast 
with such precision as to entangle the animal at one 
and the same moment; she was thus prevented from 
doing injury to either the Padre or themselves ; for, 
every time she endeavored to spring on the one, the 
other tighted his lazo to check her movement. Furi¬ 
ous with rage and foaming at the mouth, the tigress 
endeavored to bite the lazos through and through ; 
but finding the hide from which the thong was twisted 
rather too tough even for her powerful tusks, she rolled 
over the grass in trepidation and dismay at finding 
herself so unexpectedly in the power of her captors. 

“ It was a glorious sight to behold the savage crea¬ 
ture thus struggling with the slender lazos that bound 


* Howling monkey, 
f Horsemen furnished with lazos. 


THE JAGUAR HUNT. 


363 


her to the ground. Crippled as I was from the effects 
of my first encounter with the tiger, I had sufficient 
strength to reach the scene of action in time to take 
part in the death of his wife also ; but ere I dealt the 
first blow at her, I felt my arm suddenly arrested by 
the Padre, who contended that the honor of putting 
an end to her accursed existence belonged to him ex¬ 
clusively as being the aggrieved party on this occa¬ 
sion. I therefore willingly' surrendered my lance to 
him, he having lost his own spear in the hurry of the 
moment ; and then he set to work cutting her up 
with all the nicety of us folks, as if he had long been 
trained in the art of wielding a lance. Nevertheless, 
the tigress would not allow herself to be so easily con¬ 
quered ; at every stroke from the Padre’s lance, she 
seized the pole with teeth and claws so firmly that we 
found it difficult to wrench it from her grasp, and it 
was not until she had been literally cut to pieces that 
she gave up the ghost—to the devil, I hope. 

“ It was late in the afternoon when we finished our 
hunt, and turned our horses’ heads in the direction of 
the farm-house. We should, no doubt, have succeeded 
in killing as many more of these ferocious beasts, but 
for the early mishap to myself and the good zambo 
Paulino, in consequence of which we both had to be 
carried—or, rather, we carried ourselves as well as we 
could—to the jpueblo, in order to have our wounds 
properly dressed. On our arrival at the house, we 
found our mistress—who had already been acquainted 
with the facts by my master—awaiting us at the gate 
of the inclosure, and apparently very much excited 


364 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


with the news ; for no sooner did Paulino pass the 
gate, and without waiting for him to dismount from 
his horse, than she accosted my companion in the fol¬ 
lowing manner : ‘ Well, Paulino, my boy, I declare 

.now tell me, how did the tiger scratch you, 

my poor fellow, and what did you do to the scoun¬ 
drel ? ' with other similar expressions of feminine curi¬ 
osity. Paulino, who was more matter of fact than 
we poor slave folks have generally the credit .for, very 
prudently hesitated at first to comply with the train 
of her requests, excusing himself by saying, 6 Alas ! 
mistress, it was a hard case, indeed ; but, to tell you 
the truth, I shouldn't like to show you bow/ 

“ This reluctance on the part of my companion 
only helped to excite her curiosity still more, until she 
commanded him, in a peremptory manner, to explain 
to her the circumstances of the case. By this time 
Paulino had, with some difficulty, extricated himself 
from the saddle, and falling suddenly upon our mis¬ 
tress with a loud yell, he threw her upon the ground and 
commenced biting and scratching her just as the tiger 
had done to him. The yell from zambo and the shrieks 
from mi Senora soon drew to the spot my master, and 
some gentlemen who had come to congratulate him 
on the success of the hunt. Frantic with passion, ' 
and in a tone of voice which made me tremble for 
poor Paulino, he roared out, 6 How, now ! Who's 
taking such liberties with my wife, here !’ To which 
Paulino very calmly replied, £ 'Tis nothing, master ; 

I was only showing mistress how the tiger scratched 



CHAPTER XXII. 


LOS BORAXES. 

Aware of the importance of a plentiful supply of 
water for the cattle during the season of drought, we 
resolved to build a large reservoir in the heart of the 
savannas before leaving the pampas, and with this ob¬ 
ject now turned our steps toward the lagoon of Los 
Borales—so named in honor of a species of water lily 
very abundant on its borders—which, although quite 
a lake during the rainy season, often lost its waters 
by evaporation and other causes when most needed. 
This required a dam to be raised across one of the 
many creeks traversing these plains in all directions, 
to arrest the flow when the floods begin ebbing, thus 
leaving an artificial reservoir where previously only 
an extensive bog existed. We installed ourselves 
within the shelter of a solitary grove, and imme¬ 
diately commenced raising an embankment to several 
feet above the level of the plain, taking the earth for 
the purpose from the bed of a creek connecting with 
the lagoon. Digging to the depth of twelve feet, we 
came upon a tree with trunk and branches in perfect 


366 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


preservation, which, although it had evidently been 
thus entombed for ages, a breath of air had power to 
crumble into dust. As from the time of our arrival 
it had rained unceasingly, the water rapidly accumu¬ 
lated in the now completed reservoir, though our sat¬ 
isfaction received something of a damper from the 
fact that the fires were thereby constantly extin¬ 
guished, until we bethought ourselves of erecting 
9ver them a covering of green boughs about three 
feet from the ground. Upon this we laid large pieces 
of meat, which, covered with palm leaves, were speed¬ 
ily cooked by the fire beneath. 

In that retired and solitary grove, seated on a 
pack-saddle, and surrounded by lazos, bridles, and 
other emblems of our peaceful occupation, I wrote 
under the dictation of our Leader, his emphatic refusal 
to accept the Presidency of the Republic for a third 
time. Little did we then dream that this spontaneous 
act of political abnegation would be hailed with ex¬ 
ultation by his enemies, in the hope of working, as it 
did for a time, his ruin as well as that of the Repub¬ 
lic ; and that the same plains where occurred this 
disinterested proof of patriotism, should shortly after¬ 
ward witness a scene of bloodshed and persecution 
to him who, not long before, had been the acknowl¬ 
edged guardian of his country’s liberties. 

Thunder storms were now of frequent occurrence. 
One night we were awakened by a fearful clap from 
the approaching tempest. The prospect was not in¬ 
viting. Sheltered in our hammocks only by our tot- 
dos , and raising among us all but a very small um¬ 
brella of philosophy, we awaited the coming storm. 


LOS BORALES. 


367 


In a moment it was npon ns with a raging wind that 
threatened to overthrow and crush us beneath the 
falling branches of the trees. Then from the heavens 
descended so continudus a sheet of commingled fire 
and flood, that these at last appeared to become a 
part of the atmosphere we breathed. Terrified by 
this fearful uproar, our madrina of supernumerary 
horses, which, fearing the snakes, we had quartered 
in the bed of a dried-up lagoon, dashed madly across 
the plain, in spite of the combined efforts of their 
keepers. But no sooner had these refractory animals 
abandoned the secure pastures for the high grounds, 
than, attacked by snakes, three of them paid with 
their lives their insubordination, and one of these un¬ 
fortunates was afterward brought staggering into the 
camp, groaning piteously. Unable in the darkness 
to discover the cause of his sufferings, a light was 
speedily procured by igniting a rag rolled in fat, 
when a most revolting spectacle presented itself; the 
poor beast, so covered with blood that he appeared 
literally to have been plunged into a bath of gore, 
had evidently been bitten by a snake, possibly the 
same which in killing the others had probably nearly 
exhausted its poison upon them, so that what re¬ 
mained of the venom had not power to produce im¬ 
mediate death, -but effected a complete diapedesis or 
transudation of the blood. A curcmdero present un¬ 
dertook to restore the poor animal by means of the 
famous oration , but on this occasion his skill was 
vain—the horse in a short time expiring, apparently 
in great agony. The groans of the dying animal, the 
thundering of the others along the waste, the shouts 


368 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


and curses of their pursuers, who in the darkness 
were in danger of being trampled under the feet of 
more than three hundred frightened animals, mingled 
with the appalling fury of the elements, until it seemed 
as though earth and heaven were struggling for the 
mastery. This fearful scene oh, my unhappy coun¬ 
try ! shadowed forth but too faithfully thy dark night 
of despotism; the anarchy, contentions, and wretched¬ 
ness of thy children; thy ravaged borders, where the 
Wise and Good ” had formerly scattered plenty 
over the smiling land, and portrays now to me as faith¬ 
fully the night when I, with a handful of brave youths 
from Maracaibo, was surprised upon the borders of its 
lake by the myrmidons of the tyrant Monagas, and 
carried prisoners to the capital while endeavoring to 
save the remnant of constitutional liberty in the re¬ 
public. 

Our men, finding it impossible during the dark¬ 
ness to trace the horses—among them all of those used 
for the saddle—were obliged to postpone their search 
until sunrise. At length, as if wearied with its wild 
orgies, this tumultuous night passed away, and the 
morning star appeared leading the timid dawn. The 
earth, so late the dark abode of chaos, now in bloom 
and beauty, seemed the favored daughter of the 
spheres, sparkling in liquid gems, and radiant in the 
gorgeous splendor of tropical spring, while myriads 
of white lilies, far as eye could reach, mantled the 
plain, flooding with perfume the pure morning air. 
Countless flocks of waterfowl, from the tiny giiiriri 
to the soldier-like crane of the pampas, crowded the 


LOS BORALES. 


369 


miniature lakes, which the late storm had left in 
every hollow of the ground, and made the air re¬ 
sound with their harsh and varied notes. Conspicu¬ 
ous among these last were the several species of 
garzas —herons—those “ Ladies of the waters, delicate 
in form, beautiful in plumage, and graceful in their 
movements,” whose slender, arching necks, curving 
here and there above and through the sprouting 
grass, reminded one of the deadly snakes lurking 
about the plain. There, too, the carrao , a bird less 
prepossessing in appearance, but endowed with keen 
perception of a coming change of weather, announ¬ 
ced by loud cries, from which it derives its name, 
the near approach of rain with singular precision. 
Clouds of fluttering gaviotas or scissor-beaks (Rhyn- 
cliops) skimmed the water in wild, irregular flight, 
ploughing up the smaller fish with their scissor-like 
beaks, and vexing the ear with harsh and piercing 
cries. On all sides bellowing herds of cattle and 
troops of emaciated deer wandered, panting as they 
sought for water and fresh food ; while, rescued from 
the torpor into which the protracted summer drought 
had plunged them, the drowsy crocodiles and slug¬ 
gish tortoises moved slowly over the plain in search 
of the reviving element. 

It was no easy task to keep the fires burning after 
the deluging showers of the previous night, in con¬ 
sequence of which we were threatened for a while 
with starvation in the midst of plenty, as not only 
had our temporary kitchen been destroyed, but every 
log of wood was drenched with water; so were also 
our scanty garments and ponchos, most of them being 


370 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


likewise in a few hours covered with the larvae of 
myriads of flies which infested our camp. These 
petites miseres were, however, forgotten for the mo¬ 
ment in the all-absorbing topic of the whereabouts of 
our runaway horses. Happily the Llaneros, accus¬ 
tomed from their infancy to observe the instincts of the 
animals surrounding them, possess a sort of intuitive 
knowledge—with them it might be called a science— 
of their movements and impulses. 

In following the trail of stray animals amidst 
thousands intercepting each other in every direction, 
it is of course necessary to determine the right one in 
order to prosecute the search with some degree of 
success. The long experience and sagacity of our 
sturdy majordomo, whose word was considered in¬ 
fallible in such matters, were of incalculable advan¬ 
tage on this occasion. Calmly seated on his ham¬ 
mock, his weather-beaten countenance turned toward 
the far horizon, he assembled around him the wearied 
watchmen of the missing drove, still drenched by the 
late tempest; and directing each squad as to.the 
probable course followed by the separate groups of 
horses, he ordered them to disperse over the plain in 
pursuit of their uncertain errand. As the subsequent 
results proved, on the afternoon of the following day, 
it was executed with gratifying punctuality; and 
here I may be permitted to utter a passing word of 
praise in behalf of these hardy cavaliers of the desert 
plains, upon whose courage and sagacity often de¬ 
pends, not only the success of such expeditions, but 
sometimes even the fate of a whole army, whose pro¬ 
gress would be seriously endangered without a com- 


LOS BORALES. 


871 


petent body of cavalry to procure the necessary sup¬ 
ply of beef. Scantily provided with raiment, poorly 
paid, and the simple fare of the Llanos for rations, 
they are at the post of duty at all hours, in the hot 
sunshine of day, or “ in thunder, in lightning, and in 
rain ” by night, always cheerful and happy, providing 
they have with them their inharmonious guitar and 
plenty of tobacco with which to satisfy their appetite 
for stimulus of some sort. Among the various duties 
of their vocation, one of the hardest to which they 
are subjected is that of keeping a constant watch over 
the cattle at night to prevent their dispersion, as they 
are compelled to remain for hours on horseback and 
“ wide awake.” In order to accustom the cattle to 
the voice of their nocturnal guardians, a constant 
chant in a peculiarly plaintive strain, in which cattle 
seem rather to delight, is kept up until morning, 
when only a few horsemen are necessary to retain 
them within the grazing ground. Should the unruly 
herd, despite their vigilance, take alarm, as is often 
the case, or evince any symptoms of uneasiness, the 
first care of the men is to close in, in circle, and if this 
prove unavailing, they place themselves at the head 
of the stampede, in order to check, if possible, the 
progress of the affrighted multitude ; but woe to the 
unfortunate watchman whose horse, missing his foot¬ 
ing, throws his rider, for he will be trampled to death 
in an instant! 

One afternoon we were apprised by a special mes¬ 
senger from El Frio, that a tall, red-faced Englishman 
had arrived from the Orinoco, bringing any quantity 


872 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of fire-arms, ammunition, and—what appeared most 
extraordinary to our informant—a genuine negro ser¬ 
vant who could speak English. As no w r ritten com¬ 
munication had been despatched along with the 
bearer of this unexpected piece of intelligence, we 
had not an idea of who this British Nimrod might be. 
We, however, hastened to welcome the stranger, and 
for the purpose left Los Borales next morning for 
head-quarters. On arriving, we were most agreeably 
surprised at meeting no less a personage than Lord 
James Butler, now, as I understand, Earl of Or¬ 
mond. We then recollected that the previous year, 
wdien his lordship had honored us with a visit at our 
home in the valleys of Aragua, he had promised that 
should we carry out our projected expedition to the 
pampas, he would meet us there. Accordingly, in 
expectation of this, he had quitted Barbadoes—where 
he was stationed with his regiment—in his yacht for 
the river Orinoco. There he left it and prosecuted 
the remainder of the voyage in a clumsy bongo, up 
the Apure, arriving at San Fernando nearly a month 
after quitting Ciudad Bolivar. At the former place 
he was advised to proceed to Achaguas, where he 
would most likely hear of our whereabouts. Obtain¬ 
ing there the requisite information, he immediately set 
out for our cattle farm, distant about fifteen leagues ; 
but instead of providing him with a guide across the 
trackless waste, he was merely furnished with a re¬ 
fractory mule, which they assured him would take 
him to the next cattle farm, whence he would be di¬ 
rected onward. He had not proceeded far on his 
solitary way, when the vicious animal, taking fright 


LOS BORALES. 


873 


at a prairie-owl just as night was approaching, sud¬ 
denly whirled round, and my lord, despite his long 
legs and English horsemanship, lost his balance, w T as 
dismounted, and, what was worse, left to shift for 
himself in the midst of a wide plain ; the mule, finding, 
perhaps, the load rather too much for him, scampering 
off without even a parting compliment. Hor w r as his 
sable squire at hand to render him the requisite assist¬ 
ance, as he had been left behind, in charge of the 
numberless accoutrements for the chase. Fortunately 
a peon accidentally encountered the mule on his way 
home, and knowing the tricks of the animal, secured 
him, and brought him back to the discomfited trav¬ 
eller. 

His lordship related this adventure wfith much 
humor, and on our expressing regret that he had met 
with so disagreeable a contretemps , he coolly replied 
that he scarcely considered it in that light, and rather 
regretted its speedy termination as having, possibly, 
deprived him of some curious experiences. 

Although the best room in the house had been 
prepared for his accommodation, we observed with 
surprise that when night came, he insisted upon 
having his hammock slung in the open air. This, we 
afterward discovered, was in consequence of his great 
horror for the murcielagos clinging in clusters to the 
thatch-roof of the house ; and I must confess also that 
the guest-chamber in our Manor of the Pampas had 
few attractions, and could offer none of the allure¬ 
ments of the dulce domo to his lordship of Kilkenny 
Castle. Wines or delicacies of any kind we had 
none; but as we were well aware that the hospitable 


374 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Englishman always offers some Choicer beverage than 
water to his guests, we caused an old corozo-palm tree 
standing in front of the house to be cut down, and 
from it we procured every afternoon a plentiful sup¬ 
ply of palm-wine. To obtain this, a trough is scooped 
out in the upper part of the stem among the footstalks 
of the leaves; the opening is then covered with the 
square piece of bark just cut out, and the wine or sap 
allowed to accumulate in the trough during the night 
A few hours are sufficient to produce a pleasant vinous 
fermentation with a sweetish taste and a flavor sim¬ 
ilar to that of Malaga wine ; but if left to ferment for 
a longer period, it acquires decidedly intoxicating 
properties. 

Although our sports were nearly over at this time, 
we endeavored to entertain our distinguished visitor 
as well as circumstances would permit. We escorted 
him several times to the savannas in search of game, 
and even got up a rodeo and branding frolic for his 
special amusement, with both of which he appeared 
highly delighted. During the excitement of the 
rodeo he had another adventure, similar to that I 
have already related as having occurred to my friend, 
Mr. Thomas, with a wild bull, and which came very 
near proving more disastrous than his lordship’s pre¬ 
vious one with the refractory mule. We had just 
surrounded a large herd of cattle, when, like the 
artist, inspired by the excitement of the chase and its 
accompanying scenes, Lord James seized his sketch¬ 
book and commenced to delineate them. He had 
not been long thus occupied, when a bull, attracted 
perhaps by the commanding attitude of the draughts- 


LOS BORALES. 


375 


man, broke through the ring, and made at him with 
fury in his.eyes. Unconscious of danger, he contin¬ 
ued his occupation with as much composure as if at a 
stag-hunt in the West Hiding of Yorkshire. It was 
too late to render him assistance, and we watched the. 
issue with breathless anxiety ; but the bull, apparent¬ 
ly awed by the immovable attitude of the rider and 
his fearless composure, contented himself with making 
a tremendous demonstration at the breast of the horse 
without either touching him or his rider, and then, 
turning tail, vanished in the distance. It was highly 
amusing to hear his lordship inquire the meaning of 
all that flourish of trumpets, when a witty Llanero, 
standing near, replied to him that it was evidently 
intended as a salutation from the wild multitude to 
the honored guest. 

Startled by the noise and rush of so many animals 
over the plain, the foxes—in the pursuit of which 
Englishmen are so lavish of trouble and expense— 
could be seen running to and fro, endeavoring to 
escape; no sooner did the noble son of Albion dis¬ 
cover that this favorite game was also to be found in 
the pampas, than he abandoned the exciting hunt of 
the wild cattle for the first fox that crossed his path. 
He had not proceeded far, however, when another fox, 
and then another, and finally a legion of them offered 
to his eager pursuit. Bewildered by so many bushy 
tails, he gave up the chase in disgust; and I am 
sorry to state that this species of embarras de richesse, 
spoiled sport for him in all his subsequent sorties, 
excepting when, on a visit to the creek of Macanillal, 
we “ caught a tartar ” in the shape of a full-grown 


376 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

crocodile, which we mistook for a young one. This 
adventure, however, afforded him a good deal of 
amusement, and some surprise to those engaged in 
the undertaking. It so happened that only the end 
of the reptile’s tail was out of water in a very shallow 
spot, the rest of its body being entirely buried among 
the roots of a large stump. Judging from the ap¬ 
parent smallness of the tail that we could easily drag 
out the creature, and his lordship having expressed a 
desire to obtain the specimen for preservation, Rose- 
liano immediately volunteered his services. He tried 
in vain, however, to bring it to light unassisted, 
whereupon a lazo was brought into requisition, and 
having noosed the tail therewith, we succeeded in 
pulling the reptile out of its hiding-place, when, to 
our great astonishment and trepidation, we discov¬ 
ered that it w r as a large and full-grown female croco¬ 
dile with a brood of young ones among the roots of 
the old tree. She struggled furiously in defence of 
her brood, several of which we captured and pre¬ 
sented to our guest; but when the time came for dis¬ 
posing of the mother and recovering the lazo, we found 
that it would prove no child’s play, inasmuch as she 
had full command of her jaws. After several ineffec¬ 
tual attempts to stab her while in water, we succeeded 
at length in dragging her partly from her lair, and 
then only were we enabled to unfasten the noose. A 
stab or two in the armpits, causing a flow of blood, 
speedily brought the caribes to finish the job, after 
which we returned to the house, much gratified at 
having rid the creek of this dangerous family. 

On our way back I met with a severe accident, 


LOS BORALES. 


377 


and narrowly escaped serious injury from it. We 
were cantering along a beautifully level piece of 
ground, covered with short grass ; this suggested to 
my English friends the idea of testing the relative 
swiftness of our horses. Off we at once started, and 
had proceeded but a short distance, when w T e found 
our way obstructed by a dried-up creek. The English¬ 
men, as a matter of course, delighted, leaped it at a 
bound ; but my pony, not being sufficiently strong to 
clear the obstruction, missed the opposite bank and 
fell, rolling over with me into the ditch. I was a 
good deal braised in consequence, and the house 
being still at considerable distance, suffered intensely 
in reaching it. This accident prevented me from 
joining in the other sports devised for the entertain¬ 
ment of our noble guest, who, however shortly after¬ 
ward bade us adieu and returned to the sea coast, 
lie preferred, on this occasion, the route through 
Nutrias and Barinas, that he might escape the tedious 
descent of the rivers ; a messenger was therefore de¬ 
spatched to Ciudad Bolivar, ordering his yacht to 
meet him at Puerto Cabello. Disabled by my recent 
mishap, I could not, much to my regret, accompany 
him ; a guide of his own selection was, however, fur¬ 
nished in the person of our negro troubadour Quin¬ 
tana, for whom his lordship had evinced a decided 
predilection, even extending to him an invitation to 
visit u Old England,” the friend and protector of be¬ 
nighted Africa; but we could not spare him for so 
long a trip ; and as Llaneros have an innate aversion 
to trusting themselves on unknown waters, the ac¬ 
quaintanceship terminated on the borders of the Ca¬ 
ribbean Sea. 


878 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


After the departure of our noble guest from El 
Frio, we began to think that it was also high time 
for us to be getting ready for our return homeward. 
The task of retracing our steps, however, was not an 
easy thing to accomplish with three thousand oxen to 
look after, besides the other animals we brought 
there; and this in the face of the approaching inun¬ 
dation of the savannas. 

As soon as our preparations were completed, we 
took our final departure from El Frio, which perhaps 
we were destined never to revisit, stopping at San 
Pablo for a few days to make further arrangements 
at the pass for crossing the river with our immense 
train of animals and baggage. On our way to San 
Pablo, we were nigh being put to rout, and our 
labors scattered to the winds, by an invasion of a 
small bloody fly termed mosquilla , which makes its 
appearance at the commencement of the rainy season, 
and which, for destructiveness to flesh and blood, sur¬ 
passes any thing I have yet seen in the shape of an 
insect. In an instant we were enveloped in a swarm 
of these terrible creatures, which fastened themselves 
upon us and the cattle with a tenacity like that of 
hungry leeches, maddening both man and beast, and 
causing streams of blood to flow from the bites. The 
only relief we found for a while was to drive the cattle 
at full speed across the plain ; but this expedient, al¬ 
though for the time it frightened away the flies, came 
very near producing also a complete dispersion of the 
herd. We therefore resigned ourselves to endure 
their torturing attacks until they had gorged them¬ 
selves with blood. 






OUR LEADER 


















































































































































CHAPTER XXIII. 


OUR LEADER. 

THE ROMANCE OF A PATRIOT’S LIFE. 

From San Pablo we despatched men on to Apur- 
ito, where we proposed crossing the river with the 
cattle, to make preparations for this toilsome work; 
and then started for Achaguas, the inhabitants of 
which town had tendered our Leader* an earnest in¬ 
vitation to visit his old head-quarters. After an easy 
ride of about three hours, we forded on horseback the 
arm of the A pure River which, running in a south¬ 
easterly direction, forms - with the Arauca and the 
main channel of the former the island of Achaguas, 
on which the capital of the province, a collection of 
mud hovels, is situated. A brood of scaly crocodiles 
basking in the sun, and a herd of tame cattle refresh¬ 
ing themselves in the middle of the stream, were the 
only signs of animation we perceived on our approach 
to the renowned capital of the Apure. In spite of its 
present dilapidated condition, Achaguas did not fail 
to interest me more than any other spot in Apure, 
being my birthplace, and the stronghold for many 
years of my country’s independence. The Governor 


380 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of the province, Senor Arciniega, accompanied by 
the few officials in the place, came out after a while 
to greet our Leader, as did also the veteran General 
Cornelio Munoz, former Commander of the famous 
Guardia de Honor , or Colorados de Paez> which un¬ 
der the leadership of both these generals, performed 
so many prodigies during the long struggle between 
Loyalists and Patriots, which resulted in the final 
overthrow of Spanish domination in Colombia. At 
that epoch of historical interest to the friends of lib¬ 
erty in America, Achaguas held the most conspicuous 
position as the headquarters of the patriot armies, led 
by the subject of the following remarks. 

The arms of the republic were at first unsuccessful, 
and Venezuela submitted to the government of the 
mother country, the Spanish commander, Don Do¬ 
mingo Monteverde, having triumphed over the patriot 
forces in 1812 . By this time, however, a new cham¬ 
pion of the republican cause was rising in the south, 
amidst the wild scenes I have endeavored to depict in 
the foregoing pages. This champion was Captain 
Jose A. Paez, then a youth of twenty Aprils, who 
conceived the happy idea of collecting a horde of un¬ 
disciplined Llaneros in the plains of Casanare to op¬ 
pose the overwhelming forces of Spain. His intimate 
acquaintance with the country, and his thorough mas¬ 
tery in all the sports of the Llaneros, admirably fitted 
him to carry out his plans successfully. How he 
came there, and by what means he acquired the re¬ 
quisite proficiency for the arduous enterprise, the 
following anecdote of his early career will explain. 


OUR LEADER. 


881 


When seventeen years of age, an uncle of his, the 
good Priest of Araure, his native place, entrusted him 
with a large sum of money to deliver safely into the 
hands of the curate of a distant parish, furnishing 
him for the journey with a mule, an old pistol, and a 
rusty sword ; for, even at that period of comparative 
quiet and peace (1807) it was dangerous for a travel¬ 
ler to venture over the roads alone, and carrying with 
him the tempting metal. The future President of the 
Pepublic, highly elated at the great confidence re¬ 
posed in him, with the usual inexperience of youth, 
spoke freely about his commission in the first inn he 
stopped at to get his meals. The consequence of this 
imprudence was, that shortly after he left the inn, he 
was attacked on the road by three men, who, as a 
matter of course, demanded la bolsa 6 la vida. The 
youthful traveller, however, dismounted with the old 
pistol in his hand already cocked, and now threaten¬ 
ing one and then the other of his assailants, endeav¬ 
ored to repel them. At last, being too closely pressed, 
he fired the pistol at the nearest robber, with such 
good aim that he killed his adversary on the spot, 
while the fragments of the barrel, which burst at the 
same time, struck another in the face. Then charging 
resolutely upon the third bandit with the rusty sword, 
he quickly put both to flight, leaving behind them 
the corpse of their wretched comrade. ISTotwithstand¬ 
ing the obvious propriety of his conduct on this oc¬ 
casion, acting as he did in self-defence, the young 
man feared the consequences ; he imagined himself 
already accused, persecuted, without the means of 
proving his innocence, and therefore determined to 


382 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


hide himself by going into the interior of the plains, 
hoping thus to escape a punishment which Jiis error 
made him regard as inevitable. Determined to gain 
an honest livelihood, he sought employment on the 
^cattle farm of La Calzada, in the province of Barinas, 
where he soon became inured to the fatigues of the 
ranger’s life; acquiring at the same time, under the 
tuition of a cruel negro majordomo, that proficiency 
in horsemanship which later in life gave him the su¬ 
periority over the enemy. 

Proud and jealous at the same time of his white 
apprentice, whom he imagined had been sent there 
by his master to spy his actions, the negro overseer 
of La Calzada spared no opportunity to put to the 
test the courage and strength of the future champion 
of those plains, sometimes compelling him to break 
in the most vicious horses, which often led him off for 
days into the open fields; at other times ordering 
him away upon the most hazardous ventures of the 
Llanos. Not satisfied with this show of authority 
over his pupil, the brutal black Mentor of young 
Paez ended the fatigues of a hard day’s labor by 
ordering him to bring a pail of water and wash his 
muddy feet! But the tide of fortune soon changed ; 
the whirlwind of revolution offered Paez a new field 
of adventure, and the humble peon of La Calzada 
rapidly gained the highest posts in the patriot army, 
wdiile the haughty overseer went to increase the ranks 
of the opposing foe. In the course of events the ma¬ 
jordomo was brought one day a prisoner to Paez, 
who not only spared his life, but kept him always 
near his person, his only revenge being to imitate the 


OUR LEADER. 


383 


tone of his former tyrant when calling upon young 
Paez to exercise the functions of the slave: “ Nino 
Jose Antonio ! bring a bowl of water to wash my 
feet! ” to which the old negro humbly replied, “ I 
see, nino, you have not forgotten your old tricks.” 

When the revolution broke out, on the 19th of 
April, 1810, Paez enlisted in the militia of Barinas as 
a common soldier, and soon after was promoted to 
the rank of sergeant of cavalry. This, however, being 
rather a slow process of promotion, he proceeded to 
organize an independent body of cavalry, with which 
he rendered important service to the cause of inde¬ 
pendence. But the path of glory was not without 
thorns, and our young leader found himself a pris¬ 
oner in the hands of the merciless Spaniards, owing 
his preservation, as it was then believed, to the influ¬ 
ence of a miracle. In those days a war without quar¬ 
ter was fiercely waged. The province of Barinas 
having been again occupied by the royalist forces, 
Paez fell into the hands of the cruel Puy, was thrown 
into prison and ordered to be executed in the city 
of Barinas the next day. At that time military ex¬ 
ecutions of captured enemies were conducted by lead¬ 
ing them out during the night to some lonely spot, 
where they were despatched with the lance or the 
sword. Paez and a number of his fellow-prisoners 
were thus being led out one night, when he observed, 
as he was leaving the prison, that he was uncovered ; 
believing himself to be only going to make his deposi¬ 
tion before the Governor, he requested his companion 
in the cell to lend him his hat. The Spanish officer 


384 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


in charge of the mournful cortege, failing to recognize 
him under this guise, ordered him back to be ex¬ 
changed for the owner of the hat, who, he supposed, 
was the identical “ captain of the rebels.” Thus he 
obtained unwittingly a respite of one day.. The fol¬ 
lowing night he was awakened about eleven o’clock 
by a great noise of horsemen and infantry in the 
street. He imagined they w T ere coming to lead him 
and the rest of his fellow-prisoners to the place of ex¬ 
ecution. He prepared, therefore, to die; but Provi¬ 
dence saved his life once more. The noise of arms 
and horses in the street had been occasioned by an 
alarm in consequence of information received by 
Governor Puy, that a considerable army of patriots 
was encamped on the banks of the Santo Domingo 
river, on which Barinas is situated, and was about 
marching on the city. Several parties, coming from 
different directions, confirmed the information re¬ 
ceived by the Governor, and the panic became gen¬ 
eral. It was supposed that the patriots in large num¬ 
bers intended to take the Spanish garrison by sur¬ 
prise and seize upon the Governor. The latter, there¬ 
fore, immediately abandoned Barinas with his forces, 
leaving only a few men to guard the prison, for in his 
hurry he had forgotten to execute the prisoners, as 
he had done before on similar occasions. This was 
the time for Paez to make a bold effort to save his 
life. The next morning he embraced the opportunity, 
broke his fetters, helped to release his fellow-prison¬ 
ers, and overpowered one of the sentinels, who at¬ 
tempted to oppose his escape. Paez then fled to put 
himself once more at the head of a small band of 


OUR LEADER. 


385 


patriots, to harass the enemy in the same province of 
Earinas. On the morning succeeding the alarm, the 
royalists could not discover an enemy for more than 
fifty miles around the city. The alarm and panic oc¬ 
casioned by the reported approach of an enemy in 
the night,. confirmed by so many persons, some of 
whom had gone out to reconnoitre, and the* most sin¬ 
gular disappearance, or absence, of this host on the 
following morning, gave rise to the popular belief, 
existing to this day among the common people, 
that the life of Paez was saved by the friendly inter¬ 
cession and miraculous appearance of an army of de¬ 
parted spirits, known as the Ejercito de las Animas . 

The next exploit of the.future champion of the 
Llanos took place amongst the rugged mountains of 
Merida, to which point the remnants of the republican 
forces were retreating after the disasters of 1814. 
U tterly disheartened and surrounded on all sides by 
enemies, they hardly knew which way to turn. The 
column to which Paez belonged finding itself unexr- 
pectedly confronted on their march to Bailadores by a 
superior force, made a stand at a place called Etanques, 
while the enemy endeavored to gain the intermediate 
heights. The road which led to these was a narrow 
and deep cut on the sides of the steep mountain, 
which did not permit a force to deploy on being at¬ 
tacked ; observing which, Paez, who had no command 
of his own, and only figured as an attache to a small 
body of cavalry under Capt. Antonio Rangel, who 
commanded the advanced post, strenuously urged the 
captain to pursue the royalists on their march \ Ran- 


886 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

gel, however, contented himself with exchanging a few 
shots with the latter, and returned to occupy his po¬ 
sition. Unable to restrain himself, Paez, who rode 
a spirited charger, dashed onward, making a great 
noise, as if proceeding from many voices, discharging a 
blunderbuss on the rear of the column, which killed 
the sergeant. Alarmed with the voices and the re¬ 
port of the gun, the royalists were seized with a sud¬ 
den panic, and fled in consternation, throwing down 
their arms, and upsetting everything and one another 
in their precipitate flight, thus presenting an easier 
mark to the terrible lance of their pursuer. The only 
opposition encountered by the latter was from one 
Jose Maria Sanchez, a man renowned for his courage 
and much feared by the people of Merida, who com¬ 
pelled Paez to dismount and struggle hard with him 
for the possession of the exterminating weapon. Vic¬ 
torious at last over his formidable antagonist, the 
reckless champion remained complete master of the 
field. It was then that Paez, once again free to act 
according to his own judgment and impulses, con¬ 
ceived the idea of going through the centre of New 
Granada to the plains of Casanare, south of the prov¬ 
ince of Apure. This plan was the result of expe¬ 
rience, which convinced him that the patriots could 
not triumph, notwithstanding their unheard-of efforts, 
while the Spaniards held possession of the plains and 
controlled the supply of horses. The acquisition of 
the Llanos gave the superiority to the Spaniards, as, 
by means of it, they had a source of supplies and a 


OUR LEADER. 


387 


safe retreat. Paez determined, therefore, to make 
that wild region the base of his military operations, 
and with this object organized a body of horsemen in 
the plains of Casanare, which he soon after led into 
the province of Apure. 

In the language of another, “ no man was better 
calculated to command the love and respect of his 
wild soldiery. Great bravery, a thorough knowledge 
of localities, an affable and familiar treatment of his 
followers, procured for Paez great popularity and 
an unlimited sway over the minds of his men. Pie 
was one of the best riders in a district of country cel¬ 
ebrated for good horsemen, and understood the man¬ 
agement of the lance, his favorite weapon, almost to 
perfection. He possessed great bodily strength and 
agility, and few could compete with him in the wild 
sports of the Llaneros, or inhabitants of the immense 
plains of Venezuela.” 

The Llanos are, in fact, a permanent camp of mil¬ 
itary instruction for their intrepid inhabitants. Ac¬ 
customed from their infancy to subdue the wild horse, 
to master the wild bull, to swim across broad streams, 
and to grapple In single combat with the crocodile, 
the tiger and wild boar, the Llaneros learn to despise 
danger. When the war turned them from their or¬ 
dinary occupations, the enemy found them ready¬ 
made soldiers. Inhabiting a genial atmosphere and 
endowed with iron constitutions, their wants are 
few and insignificant; in peace, the lazo and the 
horse; in war, the horse and the lance. Perfectly 
acquainted with the country and unencumbered with 
heavy accoutrements, the dwellers of the Llanos can- 


888 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


not be conquered except by men of the same region, 
and Venezuela possesses in those limitless plains and 
in the breasts of their valorous children, the strongest 
bulwark of her national independence. 

Paez, now master of his own military movements, 
resolved to meet the enemy there, and, if possible, to 
bring about an engagement. On the 16th of February, 
1816, he commenced his march in pursuit of the roy¬ 
alist chief, Don Francisco Lopez, and in three hours’ 
space met him at a place called Mata de la Miel, on 
the right bank of the river Apure. The royalist leader 
had two pieces of artillery and sixteen hundred men, 
whom he drew up at once in order of battle. Paez’s 
forces amounted altogether to about six hundred cav¬ 
alry. It was evening and the night fast advancing, 
on which account many of the patriot officers were of 
opinion that the engagement should be postponed un¬ 
til the following day. This very reason, however, de¬ 
termined the leader to enter at once into action, as he 
feared that his soldiers, observing the great superior¬ 
ity of the enemy in numbers, might take advantage 
of the night to desert. Paez accordingly divided his 
forces in two columns, placing the one, composed of 
New Granadians, under command of Captain Genaro 
Vasquez, and the other, composed of Venezuelians, 
under Captain Ramon Nonato Perez. The royalists 
were completely routed, and during all that night and 
the two following days the forces led by Paez pursued 
and captured a great portion of those under Don 
Francisco Lopez. Such was the action of Mata de la 
Miel. There were left dead on the field four hundred 
royalists, and a great number of prisoners were taken 


OUR LEADER. 


889 


together with about three thousand five hundred 
horses and nearly all the enemy’s arms. Four months 
afterward, in June, Lopez again crossed the Apure 
with twelve hundred horsemen and four hundred in¬ 
fantry, but Paez met him near Mantecal and com¬ 
pelled him to retreat, after losing many men and 
horses. 

Notwithstanding these advantages on the part of 
the patriot forces, the result of the following cam¬ 
paigns (1814, 1815, and 1816) was most disastrous to 
the arms of the republic elsewhere ; Venezuela, New 
Granada, and the plains of Casanare again fell into 
the hands of the vengeful Spaniards. In 1816, a very 
numerous emigration of patriots, consisting of men, 
women, and children, in a state of great destitution 
and suffering, fled to the wilderness from the persecu¬ 
tion of the royalists, and took refuge in the camp of 
Paez. Many persons of distinction were to be found 
among the fugitives, and a system of government 
was established for the regulation of affairs. A meet¬ 
ing of officers was held at Arichuna, and Paez ap¬ 
pointed supreme chief, with the rank of General of 
Brigade. He applied himself immediately to raise 
suffictent forces to oppose Don Francisco Lopez and 
to acquire, if possible, some resources in his extreme 
want. The hardships and privations endured by the 
patriot army on the plains can scarcely .be conceived. 
The soldiers were so destitute of clothing as to be 
compelled to use for a covering the hides of the cattle 
freshly killed; very few had hats, none shoes. The 
ordinary and only food was beef, without salt and 
without bread. There were, in addition to all this, 


890 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


continual rains, and the rivers and creeks had over¬ 
flowed and covered over the country. They wanted 
horses, and as these are indispensable to the Llaneros, 
they must be obtained before any thing else. Only 
wild horses could be procured, and they had to be 
tamed and broken. This was done in squadrons, and 
it was a curious spectacle to see five or six hundred 
riders at a time struggling to subdue these wild an¬ 
imals. Around the ground were stationed several 
officers, mounted on well-trained horses, whose duty it 
was to go after those which escaped from their riders, 
to prevent them from carrying away the saddles, al¬ 
though these were made of wood, with thongs of raw 
hides. Many years after these scendfc, an eye-witness 
w r rote : “ We courted danger in order to put an end, 
with honor, to such a miserable life.” To provide 
against this misery, Paez now turned his attention to 
the nearest source of supply, Barinas, a city abound¬ 
ing in all the commodities he stood most in need of. 
Although nearly two hundred miles distant, the 
patriot chieftain did not hesitate to invade his old 
antagonist in the midst of the rainy season. The 
undertaking could not, however, be executed without 
great peril and hardships, he having to contend not 
only against the inveterate enemies who occupied all 
the approaches to the city, but against the inundation 
of the savannas at the time. The expedition, more¬ 
over, had to be conducted with great secrecy, avoid¬ 
ing even the few channels left open in those inland 
seas for the transit of men on horseback. Not in the 
least deterred by obstacles so formidable in themselves, 
Paez got together one thousand picked men, and two 


OUR LEADER, 


891 


thousand white horses, animals of this color being re¬ 
puted the best swimmers. With these, he crossed 
the Apure and several other streams, then at the 
height of their flood, being compelled besides to ford 
extensive lagoons of various depths to avoid the nu¬ 
merous gunboats of the enemy, stationed at all the im¬ 
portant passes. On one of these, on the river Cana- 
gud, the expedition was fortunate enough to capture 
by surprise a gunboat and a large quantity of hides, 
which were left behind with a strong guard for future 
use. When near Barinas, Paez sent a detachment to 
surprise also the town of Pedraza, to the south-east 
of the capital, with the object of drawing the atten¬ 
tion of the royalists in that direction. The ruse suc¬ 
ceeded admirably ; the small detachment of men car¬ 
ried every thing before them, penetrating as far as 
the plaza, and then retreated, according to instruc¬ 
tions, to rejoin the main body. Enraged at their 
audacity, the Spanish commander at Barinas sent out 
a large force in pursuit of the attacking party, thus 
weakening his own force. Paez then advanced 
against Barinas, disposing his line of march in single 
file, each horseman followed by his spare horse, tied 
to the tail of his own sumpter. The object of this 
arrangement was to deceive the royalists also in re¬ 
gard to the real numbers of the enemy, which from a 
distance presented a very imposing appearance. Ba¬ 
rinas is situated on the border of an extensive plain, 
bounded on the south by the mesa of the same name, 
through which Paez made his entry into the doomed 
city when the sun was in the meridian. The dreaded 
army of “ departed spirits ” did not produce a more 


392 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


appalling consternation among the royalists than the 
apparition of this unexpected body of ragged horse¬ 
men. They knew full well that, owing to the over¬ 
flow of the savannas, no advance could he made upon 
the city from the south. They felt equally secure 
against any attack from the north and from the east, 
which were then entirely under their control, while 
on the west they were still better protected by the 
lofty Sierra Nevada. Without stopping to ascertain 
the real character of the force before them, the royal¬ 
ists collected together in a great hurry whatever val¬ 
uables they prized most, and had already loaded 
several mules with them, when the enemy, dashing 
forward in full gallop, arrived in time to secure the 
rich booty, after dispersing the owners and their 
troops. The lialf-clad followers of Paez then fell 
upon the stores and abandoned houses of the royalists 
with the eagerness of men who had not seen a respect¬ 
able garment in a long time. One of the officers was 
fortunate enough to capture a mule loaded with thirty 
thousand dollars in gold, while every man in the party 
got more goods than he could carry. 

Paez only remained a sufficient time at Barinas 
to arrange the transportation of the booty, which took 
up nearly all the spare horses brought along for this 
purpose ; without these and the hides seized at Ca- 
nagua, it would have been impossible to remove it to 
the patriot camp in the wilderness. Owing to the 
presence of a strong flotilla of gunboats at the mouth 
of the river, the captured vessel had to be abandoned 
after a while, and the wearisome route across the in¬ 
undated savannas resumed by the returning caravan. 


OUR LEADER. 


393 


The hides served the double purpose of covering 
for the goods and lighters to ferry them over the 
streams. This species of leather canoe is an inge¬ 
nious contrivance frequently resorted to in those wild 
regions wherever there is a scarcity of boats, and con¬ 
sists in a bag or trough formed by passing a rope 
through a number of holes round the rim of the hide, 
and gathering it over the goods. One end of the 
rope^ of sufficient length is then handed over to a good 
swimmer, who takes it between his teeth and tows 
the lighter after him. In |:his manner, the immense 
booty obtained at Barinas was successfully trans¬ 
ported over one hundred miles of inundated plains, to 
the inconceivable joy of the wretched emigrants at the 
camp of Arichuna. 

After allowing his troop sufficient time to rest 
from their fatigues, and finding it to his advantage to 
resume the offensive, at least to occupy the attention 
of his soldiers, Paez commenced his march toward 
Achaguas, although the season was still very severe. 
The march was slow, as, besides the difficulties of the 
road, they were encumbered by numerous emigrants, 
and compelled, at every step, to procure supplies on 
account of the want of stores. The great multitude 
of men, women, and children, moving with the army, 
represented to the life the picture of a nomadic people 
without home or country, who, after consuming the 
resources of .the district they have occupied, raise 
their tents to conquer another.* In this manner they 

* Nevertheless, Paez took particular care to preserve the breed of 
cattle on the plains of Apure. Notwithstanding that he was continually 
engaged in war, he issued most effective orders to prevent its extinc- 


394 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


arrived at the sand hills or Medanos de Araguayuna, 
where, having left the emigrants under the protection 
of a resolute band of horsemen, Paez incorporated all 
the men capable of bearing arms in his ranks, and 
marched against Lopez, whom he supposed to be at 
Achaguas. But after proceeding a short distance, he 
learned that the enemy, to the number of seventeen 
hundred horsemen and four hundred infantry, was at 
the cattle farm called Yagual. Paez then changed 
his course and took his position between the enemy 
and the city of Achaguas. His army was divided 
into three columns, commanded by Generals Urda- 
neta and Servier, and by Colonel Santander; they 
were nearly all armed with lances, very few with 
muskets or carabines, and the supply of ammunition 
was scanty. On the 8th of October, they came in 
sight of the enemy, and although their number much 
exceeded that of the patriot forces, Paez did not hesi¬ 
tate to give them battle. The conflict was long and 
severe, but it was decidedly in favor of the patriots. 
Don Francisco Lopez was compelled to abandon his 
position, after sustaining a severe loss ; on the next 
day he refused to renew the battle, and fell back upon 
Achaguas, having previously shipped on the river 
Arauca all his' artillery and wounded for San Fer¬ 
nando. On the 13th, Lopez, having made a short 
resistance, abandoned the town, of which Paez took 
possession. Shortly after this, Lopez being attacked 
by surprise on the banks of the Apure, was utterly 

tion. The origin of all the cattle estates which are at present to be 
found in Venezuela is to be traced to the Apure plains. 


OUR LEADER. 395 

defeated, liis forces dispersed, and lie himself lost his 
life. 

At the head of his brave soldiers, Paez rescued 
the province of Apure, a part of that of Barinas, in 
Venezuela, and recovered that of Casanare, in New 
Granada. Having increased his force by the new 
levies raised in these provinces and in others, he 
formed that army which subsequently rendered such 
important services in the cause of freedom, and whose 
exploits have been so much admired. 

It is not my purpose to enter here into a detailed 
account of the events of that epoch ; the limits of this 
chapter, and the relationship existing between the 
author and the subject of this hasty sketch, preclude 
the possibility of such an undertaking, especially when 
better pens have compiled them in the Encyclopedia 
Britannica —articles, Colombia and Bolivar ; in the 
American Cyclopedia —articles, Paez and Venezue¬ 
la ; also in Campaigns and Cruises in Venezuela, and 
various other works by English.officers who served in 
the ranks of the patriot armies at the time, to which 
English and American readers of history are especially 
referred for a more comprehensive view of that fearful 
struggle. My object is to give my readers some idea 
respecting the nature of that contest in that part of 
Venezuela which, after years of unheard-of privations, 
and almost insurmountable difficulties, furnished at 
last the elements which decided the fate of Colombia 
upon the plains of Carabobo, Junin, and BoyacA 

Vain were, after this, the efforts of the Spanish 


396 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


invaders to destroy what they contemptuously called 
the Gang of Apure, in their official documents. {Sev¬ 
eral expeditions were despatched from Spain about 
this time, under the command of the ablest generals, 
and provided with all the material for a vigorous cam¬ 
paign. One of these, led by Lieut.-General Don 
Pablo Morillo, set sail from Cadiz on the 18th of 
February, 1815. It consisted of sixty-five transport 
ships and other smaller vessels, convoyed by the line- 
of-battle ship San Pedro Alcantara (lost afterwards 
during the blockade of the Island of Margarita), mount¬ 
ing seventy-four guns. The total number of men 
composing this expedition, including marines, amount¬ 
ed to fifteen thousand. The ships carrying this for¬ 
midable armament cast anchor, on the third of April, 
1815, in Puerto Santo, to the windward of Carupano, 
in Venezuela. Morillo, the commander of this ex¬ 
pedition, was a brave, active, and energetic officer, 
cool in action, a severe disciplinarian, and was beloved 
by his soldiers. Besides this force, there was a royal¬ 
ist army of five thousand men in Venezuela, com¬ 
manded by Morales. 

At first, General Morillo met with little or no op¬ 
position, until, going to the interior, he encountered 
the wild horsemen of the plains. The haughty tem¬ 
per of the Spanish commander-in-chief could not bear 
that a handful of demi-savages, as he was pleased to 
style them, should insult the pennant of Castile any 
longer, and he therefore prepared to capture every one 
of them, with what results, the sequel of this narra¬ 
tive will show. 


OUR LEADER. 


397 


In the early part of January, 1817, the Spanish 
commanders, La Torre and Calzada, effected a junc¬ 
tion at Guasdualito, on the plains of Apure. About 
the same time, the royalist brigadier, Don Ramon 
Correa, and Lieutenant-Colonel Don Salvador Gorrin, 
left; San Fernando, and with their cavalry and infantry 
attacked the line of the patriots, and completely 
routed Guerrero, the republican general, forcing him 
to fall back upon Paez, after a bloody battle, in which 
the patriots sustained a considerable loss. The siege 
of San Fernando being raised in consequence of this 
triumph, the attention of La Torre and Calzada was 
directed to Paez, who presented the greatest obstacle 
to their occupation of the river Apure and its adjacent 
plains. An army of four thousand veteran soldiers 
of all arms, including seventeen hundred of the cavalry 
commanded by Colonel Remijio Ramos, presented a 
force sufficient to inspire the Spanish commander with 
confidence, particularly as La Torre, who was a brave 
and accomplished soldier, was anxious to distinguish 
himself among his companions in arms. He, there¬ 
fore, marched to the town of San Yicente, following 
the tight bank of the river Apure, with the intention 
of attacking Paez, who was then in Mantecal. On 
the 28th of January, the patriots and royalists met 
on the plain of Mucuritas ; the former, with a body 
of cavalry amounting only to eleven hundred horse¬ 
men, and the latter with the forces already men¬ 
tioned. The result of the engagement was as unfor¬ 
tunate to La Torre as it proved advantageous to the 
patriots under Paez, who on this occasion made up 
for his inferiority in numbers by means of a stratagem 


398 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

which nearly resulted in the destruction of the entire 
Spanish army. The order of battle adopted by the 
royalist leader was the best which the nature of the 
ground and the enemy he had to contend with would 
permit ; his infantry presented a strong and compact 
front, while his cavalry was posted on the wings aud 
on the rear. Paez having only cavalry, could not come 
within the range of the enemy’s muskets without 
running the risk of being wholly destroyed ; and he 
consequently conceived the idea of separating the 
royalist horse from the infantry. , The presumptuous 
confidence of Colonel Ramos and the inexperience of 
La Torre in the Llanero’s tactics, facilitated the exe¬ 
cution of Paez’s plan. Having formed two columns 
with a portion of his forces, Paez ordered them to at¬ 
tack the enemy’s flanks, and then immediately to re¬ 
treat, as if they had been repulsed. His object was 
to draw out the enemy’s cavalry in the heat of the pur¬ 
suit, and at once surround them with two other col¬ 
umns, which he had ready prepared for that, purpose. 
This simple manoeuvre had the desired effect, and La 
Torre’s cavalry was speedily destroyed. The European 
hussars alone escaped, because they advanced with less 
precipitancy and in better order. The republican 
leader now ordered the dry grass of the plain to be set 
on fire, and it instantly became a sea of flame. For¬ 
tunately for La Torre, his infantry retreating precipi¬ 
tately in close column, succeeded in reaching a spot 
which had been burned some time before. Even 
there his infantry sustained several charges from Paez’s 
cavalry, compelling him ultimately to seek a refuge 
in a dense wood on the right bank of the Apure, 


OUR LEADER. 


399 


where the pursuit ceased for want of infantry on the 
part of the patriots. Of this battle, General Morillc 
wrote: “ Fourteen consecutive charges upon my 
wearied battalions convinced me that these men were 
not a small gang of cowards, as had been represented 
to me. ,, On the following morning Morillo joined 
La Torre, and contiuued with him his march to San 
Fernando without crossing the Apure, and always in 
sight of the republican cavalry ; Paez finally perceiv¬ 
ing that the enemy avoided a new engagement, retired 
to San Juan de Payara. 

In 1817, General Bolivar appeared in the province 
of Guayana, and his first effort was to open his com¬ 
munication with Paez, who did not hesitate to recog¬ 
nize his authority, although widely separated from the 
Liberator's head quarters. 

From this period the patriots began to extend 
their operations ; a series of brilliant actions took 
place at various points, and the republican cause ap¬ 
peared to revive on the line of the Apure and the 
Orinoco rivers. The acquisition of Guayana under 
Piar was an important and decisive event in the his¬ 
tory of the war ; by means of it, Bolivar was in a situ¬ 
ation to harass the posts occupied by the royalists, on 
any point of the immense line embraced by the Ori¬ 
noco and its numerous tributaries. 

In the latter part of January, 1818, Bolivar joined 
him with two thousand five hundred disciplined 
troops, among them the famous British legion lately 
arrived, increasing the republican forces to about ten 
thousand infantry and the same number of cavalry, 
which last was composed of well-trained men, accus- 


400 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

tomed to victory on the plains of Apure. The plan 
of the campaign having been arranged between Bo¬ 
livar and Paez, they resolved to cross over the river 
Apnre and march forthwith on Calabozo, where Mo- 
rillo had established his headquarters. But here a 
great difficulty presented itself; the patriot forces 
had no boats in which to cross that broad and deep 
river. It was then that Paez conceived and executed 
the extraordinary plan of capturing with cavalry the 
gun-boats of the enemy stationed on the river, oppo¬ 
site the point toward which they were marching. An 
eye-witness and impartial foreigner, attached to the 
British Legion, thus describes this hazardous under¬ 
taking : “ Bolivar stood on the shore gazing at these 
(the gun-boats) in despair, and continued discon¬ 
solately parading in front of them, when Paez, who 
had been on the look-out, rode up and inquired the 
cause of his disquietude. His Excellency observed, 
‘ I would give the world to have possession of the 
Spanish flotilla, for without it I can never cross the 
river, and the troops ^re unable to march/ c It 
shall be yours in an hour/ replied Paez. c It is impos¬ 
sible/ said Bolivar, ‘ and the men must all perish/ 
c Leave that to me/ rejoined Paez, and galloped off. 
In a few minutes he returned, bringing up his guard 
of honor, consisting of 300 lancers selected from the 
main body of the Llaneros, for their proved bravery 
and strength, and leading them to the bank, thus 
briefly addressed them : { We must have these fle¬ 
cker as, or die. Let those follow Tio* who please/ 

* Uncle. A name by which the Llaneros frequently address Paez. 




CAPTURE OF THE SPANISH GUNBOATS BY LLANERO CAVALRY. 


















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































OUR LEADER. 


401 


And at the same moment, spurring his horse, dashed 
into the river and swam towards the flotilla. The 
guard followed him with their lances in their hands, 
now encouraging their horses to bear up against the 
current by swimming by their sides and patting their 
necks, and then shouting to scare away the alligators, 
of which there were hundreds in the river, till they 
reached the boats, when, mounting their horses, they 
sprang from their backs on board them, headed by 
their leader, and, to the astonishment of those who 
beheld them from the shore, captured every one of 
them. To English officers, it may appear incon¬ 
ceivable that a body of cavalry, with no other arms 
than their lances, and no other mode of conveyance 
across a rapid river than their horses, should attack 
and take a fleet of gun-boats amidst shoals of alliga¬ 
tors ; but, strange as it may seem, it was actually 
accomplished, and there are many officers now in 
England who can testify to the truth of it.” 

The unprejudiced author of this narrative, which 
I am compelled to shorten for want of space, then 
adds :—“ In short, he is altogether a most wonderful 
man ; and were the numerous and extraordinary in¬ 
cidents of his life to be formed into a narrative, it 
would have more the semblance of romance than 
authentic biography; He is, above all things, a sin¬ 
cere patriot, and certainly a bright ornament to his 
country.”* 

* Recollections o f a Service of Three Years during the War of Exter¬ 
mination in the Republics of Venezuela and Colombia. London, 1828. 
See also Campaigns and Cruises in Venezuela. London, 1831. 


402 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


This dangerous manoeuvre was performed at a 
distance of two miles from San Fernando, which, 
from that moment, was cut off from all communi¬ 
cation with Morillo. The patriot army being thus 
provided with the means of transportation across the 
Apure, a body of cavalry was immediately despatch¬ 
ed in the direction of the road leading to Calabozo, 
and succeeded in capturing by surprise a party of 
twenty-five 'men, who composed the advanced post 
of the enemy. In consequence of this manoeuvre, 
Morillo was also taken by surprise on the 11th of 
February, at a time when his hussars and a portion 
of the battalion of Castille were at a place called 
Mision de Abajo, about three miles lo the south of 
Calabozo. Only a few men from both regiments, 
with a Colonel, succeeded in making their escape to 
the intrenchments in the city. The sturdy veteran, 
Morillo, could not believe the report of his Colonel, 
that the whole patriot army was marching upon 
him. Haughtily accusing that officer of cowardice, 
he sallied forth in person with his staff to reconnoitre 
what he supp’osed to be a band of guerrillas ; but he 
himself had to flee for safety into the city, narrowly 
escaping death through the stoical heroism of his in¬ 
sulted Colonel, who threw himself between, the Com¬ 
mander-in-chief and the lance of one of Paez’s staff 
officers. 

Instead of investing the royalists at once, Bolivar 
committed the error of encamping for the night with 
all his troops at the village of El Rastro, about 
four miles this side of Calabozo. Morillo improved 


OUR LEADER. 


403 


this opportunity to abandon the city under cover of 
night, and fell back on Caracas, by the mountainous 
route of El Sombrero, where the patriots could not 
follow him on account of the inferiority of their in¬ 
fantry. Paez then returned to the Apure, while Bol¬ 
ivar remained with the bulk of the army, to be soon 
after entirely annihilated at La Puerta by the royalist 
General. But the Genius of the Andes was untiring 
in his efforts to see his country, and the rest of the 
South American Continent, free from European op¬ 
pression. 

On the 16th January, 1819, Bolivar joined Paez 
again at San Juan de Payara with a newly organized 
corps d^armee^ and their united forces amounted to 
four thousand men. Bolivar, as a recompense for the 
important services rendered by Paez to his country, 
raised him to the rank of General of Division, and 
left him in command of all the forces, while he pro¬ 
ceeded to Angostura, where Congress was to meet in 
February. About this time the royalist Generals, 
Morillo and La Torre, also joined their forces at San 
Fernando, amounting in all to six thousand five hun¬ 
dred men of all arms. With these they immediately 
proceeded to attack the patriots at San Juan in the 
beginning of February. Paez retreated toward the 
Orinoco, transported all his infantry to the island of 
Ur ban a, and took up a position, with his guard and 
two squadrons of carabineers, at Cunaviche; the re¬ 
mainder of his horsemen he stationed on the plains 
of Rio Claro, and a most cumbersome emigration of 
ten thousand patriot refugees, that followed liis camp,* 
was taken to Araguaquen. The plan adopted by 


404 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Paez on this occasion was precisely the same as the 
one always practised by him in former campaigns ; 
yet the royalist General was so infatuated by his 
eagerness to destroy the u Gang of Apure,” that he 
was easily led away into the wilderness before he was 
conscious of his danger. On the 11th of February 
Morillo forced the pass of the river Arauca, and the 
patriots fell back, keeping their adversary under ob¬ 
servation ; at night, however, they retraced their 
steps, and in the morning appeared situated at a short 
distance in the opposite direction. Morillo counter¬ 
marched, and for many days wandered over that wil¬ 
derness, renewing his efforts to overtake an enemy 
which kept constantly before him, like the mirage of 
the desert, and which did him great injury by driving 
away the cattle. The only means he could employ to 
overtake his opponent and force him to battle, was 
to use his cavalry ; but this jeopardized the only 
force which procured the subsistence of the army, and 
might thus compromise its safety. Not even at night 
were the royalists allowed to rest in peace. On one 
occasion Paez caused a number of wild horses to be 
brought before the enemy’s camp, and tying dry hides 
to the animals’ tails, they were stampeded with shouts 
and shots towards the encampment. Imagining them¬ 
selves attacked by the whole Llanero cavalry, the roy¬ 
alists sprang to their arms and opened fire on the 
affrighted horses, which caused that night more alarm 
and confusion among them than the two thousand 
oxen which Hannibal hurled against the Roman camp. 
At length, convinced of the inutility of his efforts, 


OUR LEADER. 405 

Morillo recrossed the Arauca, and in the early part of 
March established his headquarters at Achaguas. 

On the first day of April, General Morillo again 
resumed the offensive, marching along the left bank 
of the Arauca and approaching the position occupied 
on the right bank by Generals Paez and Bolivar ; the 
latter had recently returned from the Congress at 
Angostura, where he had been elected President of 
the Republic, and resumed the command in chief of 
the army. Morillo made several feigned movements 
to the right and to the left, as if he wished to cross 
the river, and at noon of tile 2d, took up his posi¬ 
tion nearly opposite that of Bolivar, out of range of 
the cannon. For the purpose of drawing him forth, 
General Paez crossed the river with one hundred and 
fifty horsemen, composed mostly of officers who vol¬ 
unteered for the hazardous undertaking; with these 
he formed three small columns and advanced upon 
the enemy. Morillo immediately put all his forces in 
motion ; his infantry and artillery commenced firing, 
while the cavalry charged upon the small band of 
patriots, hoping to overpower by numbers the weak 
columns of the enemy ; he himself directed his course 
toward the bank of the river. Paez, in the mean 
time, retreated in order, purposely leaving the pass 
of the river on his rear. Morillo, observing this, and 
supposing him inevitably lost, detached from the 
army all the cavalry in pursuit of Paez, and directed 
his fire upon the right bank, defended by some light 
troops. As soon, however, as the republican General 
perceived that the enemy’s horse were at a consider¬ 
able distance from the army, and in disorder, he faced 


406 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

about suddenly, attacked bis pursuers in front and on 
the flanks, in small groups of twenty men, and with¬ 
out giving them time to recover from their astonish¬ 
ment or to re-form the lines, he routed them, oc¬ 
casioning great loss. In vain they made the most 
obstinate resistance—in vain the carabineers dis¬ 
mounted—all their efforts were useless ; disconcerted 
and taken by surprise, all those who opposed the 
vigorous attack were killed upon the spot. The vic¬ 
tors pursued the remnants of the force as far as the en¬ 
emy’s lines, slaying all whom they overtook. Their 
infantry, thrown into confusion, sought refuge in the 
woods, the artillery ceased firing, and night pre¬ 
vented the further destruction of the royalist army. 
On the day following this encounter, Bolivar issued 
a decree, conferring the cross of Liberators ( Liberta- 
dores ) on all the officers, sergeants, corporals, and sol¬ 
diers, who fought in this engagement, known in his¬ 
tory by the name of Queseras del Medio ; while the 
following proclamation announced to the army the 
success recently-obtained by the republican arms : 

SIMON BOLlVAR ' PRESIDENT, Etc., Etc. 

“ To the Heroes of the Army of Apure: 

“ Soldiers ! You have just performed the most 
extraordinary action that can be recorded in the mili¬ 
tary history of nations—one hundred and fifty men, or, 
rather, one hundred and fifty heroes, led on by the 
undaunted General Paez, have deliberately attacked 
in front the whole Spanish army, under Morillo; 


OUR LEADER. 


407 


artillery, infantry, cavalry, nothing availed to de¬ 
fend the enemy from the hundred and fifty com¬ 
panions of the intrepid Paez. The columns of their 
cavalry have disappeared under the strokes of our 
lances ; their infantry sought a shelter in the woods ; 
the roar of their cannon was silenced before the breasts 
of our horses, and only the darkness of night preserved 
the army of the tyrant from complete and absolute 
destruction. 

“ Soldiers ! The deed you have performed is but 
the prelude of what you can accomplish. Prepare 
then for the combat, and reckon on victory, which you 
carry on the point of your lances and bayonets. 

“ Bolivar. 

‘‘Head-quarters at Potreritos Marrerenos, April 3, 1819.” 


After this engagement, Morillo, finding himself 
again deprived of his cavalry in the heart of the sa¬ 
vannas, retreated precipitately to Acliaguas, and 
finally to San Fernando, which place he fortified 
strongly, and recrossing the Apure, sought a more ad¬ 
vantageous position against the attacks of his hover¬ 
ing enemy. 

The engagement of Queseras del Medio was the 
precursor of new plans and bold projects, combined 
between Bolivar and Paez. The plains of Venezuela, 
being now entirely rescued from the enemy, these two 
Generals arranged the dangerous and important ex¬ 
pedition that was to give freedom to New Grana¬ 
da. Paez had the honor accorded him of choosing 
which of the two should command the expedition. 
They both agreed that Bolivar should march into New 


408 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Granada, and that Paez should preserve, at all risks, 
the possession of the plains of Apure. Yictory 
crowned the republican arms in New Granada, and 
Paez resolutely and successfully defended the im¬ 
portant territory confided to his care and protection. 

On the 17th December, 1819, Yenezuela and New 
Granada were united into one great republic, under the 
name of Colombia, with a territory embracing nearly 
500,000 square miles. 

The year 1821 is celebrated for the important vic¬ 
tory obtained by the republican army, under Bolivar 
and Paez, on the field of Carabobo, which secured 
Yenezuela to the patriots. General Bolivar’s forces 
amounted to 6,000 men. Only the first division of 
the army, commanded by Paez, took part in the 
battle. This division was composed of the gallant 
British Legion, already alluded to, the battalion 
of Apure, and 1,500 horsemen. The field of Cara¬ 
bobo is a vast and open plain, lying in a southerly 
direction from Yalencia. An army endeavoring to 
enter this plain from Tinaquillo, as the patriot army 
was attempting to do, is obliged, after passing the 
river Chirgua, to penetrate over the defile called Buena 
Yista, lying to the northeast. This defile is a formi¬ 
dable position, on which a few men can easily arrest 
the progress of an army. If this pass be gained, and 
the many obstructions be overcome, which an enemy 
can easily oppose . over a rough and craggy road of 
considerable length, there still remains a narrow val¬ 
ley to be traversed, formed by hills, which constitute 
the entrance on the west to the plain of Carabobo; 
here the level ground commences. General La Torre, 


OUR LEADER. 


409 


the Spanish commander, had stationed in the valley 
and on both sides on the hills commanding it, several 
pieces of artillery, as well as strong bodies of infantry. 
On the plain near the opening of the valley the ex¬ 
tended line of infantry was deployed in order of bat¬ 
tle, with its right resting upon a thicket; next fol¬ 
lowed another line, and between the flanks of both, 
there were two strong bodies of cavalry. The second 
line of battle had on its left the road to El Pao, and 
the cavalry on the same side w T as stationed on the 
brow of a hill over which that road passes ; the sum¬ 
mit of the hill was occupied by a battalion. Such 
was the military position of the Spanish forces, amount¬ 
ing on this occasion to 9,000 men. On the 24th of 
June, the patriot General occupied the defile, and 
from that place observed the position of the enemy. 
The narrow road pursued by Bolivar allowed him 
only the room necessary to file off, and the Spaniards 
not only guarded the outlet into the plain, but com¬ 
manded the valley with their artillery and a large 
body of infantry. The position was impregnable. 
It was therefore resolved that General Paez, with 
considerable risk and difficulty, should penetrate 
through a foot-path but little known, and turn the 
enemy’s right. This path was extremely hazardous. 
It begins at the high road leading to San Carlos, to 
the west of the valley ; goes over the top of a small 
hill covered with woods, which was commanded by 
the Spanish artillery, and leads into a ravine where 
the men were compelled to pass singly, because it 
was very rough and full of brambles and briars. 
When the enemy discovered the ipovement of the 
18 


410 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


advancing forces under Paez, he directed part of his 
own against the latter, and some of his battalions 
came up to the ravine, as the patriot battalion of 
Apnre was beginning to pass it, and a vigorous firing 
commenced and was continued on both sides. The re¬ 
publican corps at last succeeded in passing the ravine, 
but no longer able to sustain singly the enemy’s 
charge, w T as already giving way, when the British 
Legion came up to their support.. The enemy had by 
this time brought into action four of his best bat¬ 
talions, against only one of the patriots. But the 
gallant Britons now filed off and formed in order of 
battle, under a murderous fire, with almost super¬ 
human coolness, and kneeling down, they could not 
be made to yield an inch of ground. Almost all its 
officers were either killed or wounded ; but the service 
rendered by those brave foreigners was great indeed. 
Their heroic firmness gave time for the battalion of 
Apure to rally and return to the charge, while two 
companies of Tiradores , led on by the gallant Heras, 
came also into the action. The enemy at last yielded 
under the simultaneous charge of the bayonet made 
by these different corps and fell back upon the caval¬ 
ry for support. By this time the body-guard of Gen¬ 
eral Paez, six hundred strong, had passed the ravine, 
and charging the enemy’s horse on the rear of its 
columns, routed them completely and decided the 
action on that memorable day. Only one battalion, 
the famous Yalencey, successfully repelled the furious 
charges of the patriot cavalry, which pursued the 
royalists as far as Valencia. General La Torre, with 
the remnant of his forces, shut himself up in the forti- 


OUR LEADER. 


411 


fications of Puerto Cabello, which were finally carried 
by assault on the 7 th of November in the same year 
by General Paez. 

The victory gained at Carabobo was complete and 
brilliant, decisive of the fate of the republic, and 
glorious to the brave soldiers of Apure, whose favored 
leader was raised by Bolivar to the rank of General-in¬ 
chief on the field of battle—an appointment which 
was subsequently ratified by Congress “ in acknowl¬ 
edgment of his extraordinary valor and military vir¬ 
tues.” How he afterwards became Supreme Chief of 
Venezuela; twice President of the Republic : was 
banished by a turbulent party calling themselves 
Liberates, narrowly escaping with his life to the 
United States of America, from whence, after an exile 
of ten years, he was recalled, and placed again at the 
head of the nation by popular acclamation ; became 
thoroughly disgusted with the unruly disposition of his 
countrymen, and returned to end his days in 

“The land of the free and the home of the brave; ” 

he has fully recounted in his Autobiography,* re¬ 
cently published in this country. 

* Autobiografia del General Jos6 A. Paez. Nueva York, 1867. 


CHAPTER XXIV. 


SCENES AT THE PASS OF APURITO. 

"When we were apprised that every thing was 
ready at the pass, we moved on from San Pablo 
with the horses, the cattle following behind by easy 
marches, to allow them sufficient time to graze on the 
rich herbage by the way. 

On our arrival at Apurito, we found the river 
quite swollen with the recent showers and already 
extending from bank to bank. The first business was 
to select among our men and horses the strongest and 
most capable of enduring the fatigue and of guiding 
through the boisterous waves of the Apure the various 
lots into which the cattle were divided for the pur¬ 
pose. Our next step was to assemble at the pass a 
sufficient number of canoes with expert paddlers to 
act in concert with the leading men and horses, by 
flanking the swimmers in the river. Two long pali¬ 
sades, running parallel down to the bank of the river 
and narrowing toward the water, had already been 
constructed; through these the animals, in lots of 
two hundred at a time, were driven at full speed, 


SCENES AT THE PASS OF APURITO. 


413 


with deafening shouts and earnest goading, while two 
men, stripped naked and mounted on two spirited 
horses without saddles, headed the movement, plung¬ 
ing headlong into the river pell-mell with the cattle, 
which were thus encouraged to swim across. A herd 
of tame animals was stationed on the opposite shore 
to incorporate the swimmers as they came out of the 
water. Having done this, the leaders swam back to 
procure another lot of animals, a feat they performed 
for about twenty successive times in the course of the 
day. Nevertheless, the task was not so easily accom¬ 
plished as was practised w T ith the horses ; for it often 
happened that the bulls became quite refractory and 
pugnacious, in which case the men in the canoes 
were obliged to hold them by the horns, dragging 
them along by main force as they paddled on; at 
other times the beasts got alongside of the leading 
men and horses, and then the danger to both was im¬ 
minent, the bulls attacking them in the water; thus 
many valuable horses were killed by these infuriated 
animals, while the men had several narrow escapes. 
"VVhat with savage bulls, electric eels, crocodiles and 
caribes—not to mention other pernicious creatures of 
the waters and the broad expanse of the river before 
them—the task of these bold adventurers is truly ap¬ 
palling ; yet they go to work and accomplish their 
task with a willing heart and a perfect nonchalance 
of every thing around them. The same might be 
said also in regard to the noble steeds which share 
with them the dangers of the river, acting at the 
same time the part of floating bridges to the men, 
and as decoys to the cattle during the passage. Their 


414 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


powers of endurance, in this instance, are the more 
surprising, inasmuch as they are not allowed even a 
few moments’ rest after they land, being kept in 
constant motion the whole day. 

A number of horsemen with lazos were also sta¬ 
tioned along the shore to secure those bulls which, 
eluding the vigilance of the men in the canoes, suc¬ 
ceeded in regaining the land ; many were drowned, 
however, in the attempt, and their carcasses aban¬ 
doned to the turkey-buzzards, from an inherent dis¬ 
gust among the people of the Llanos for the flesh of 
animals which have not been killed in the usual way. 
On one or two occasions, the whole troop rebelled 
against their drivers and succeeded in making their 
escape to their pasture fields, in spite of the horsemen 
on shore; others, after reaching the sloping banks 
across the river below the pass, were arrested in their 
flight by the overhanging clifis, and finally hurled to 
a watery grave by the rapid rise of the river. 

Thus the cost of these expeditions, although ex¬ 
ceedingly interesting to those participating in the ex¬ 
citement, is sometimes greater than the profits arising 
therefrom, and none but Llaneros, who are accus¬ 
tomed to live on beef and water, ought to indulge in 
this truly savage business. Our loss in horses alone, 
without reckoning the expenses of the expedition and 
the danger to flesh and bone, amounted on this occa¬ 
sion to about thirty animals, which in round figures, 
setting the value of every horse at the minimum price 
of one hundred dollars, would make the sum of three 
thousand dollars ; while the value of the cattle itself, 
many of which were also lost to us, could hardly be 


SCENES AT THE PASS OF APURITO. 


415 


set down at five dollars a head at that epoch. One 
of the horses was so valuable, that our Leader re¬ 
quested the Doctor to attend the wounded animal and 
endeavor to save his life if possible. On examination, 
it was found that his bowels w T ere partly forced out 
through the wound ; but as he would not all(>w any 
body to touch him, it was resolved to tie his feet; 
then passing a pole through the legs of the animal, he 
was lifted from the ground in a reverse position, to 
allow the Doctor to operate more conveniently. It 
was already very dark, and the group of Llaneros 
lifting the patient, with others holding up lighted 
torches made of rags and tallow, and the humorous 
Esculapius leaning over the struggling beast, pre¬ 
sented a scene ludicrous in the extreme. In spite of 
the skill with wdiich he performed the operation, and 
the humane care of the owner, the horse expired the 
same night. 







416 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Three whole days were spent in the laborious oc- 
cupation of forcing the cattle across the river. Nor 
were the nights less diligently employed at the village 
in the more entertaining recreation of dancing, flirt¬ 
ing and gambling, according to the tastes and inclina¬ 
tions of our motley assembly. It must be confessed, 
however, that the latter had more incentives for the 
people of that pastoral region than the shepherd’s 
reed and crook. Occasionally a fight would occur 
during these nocturnal revelries; but this, beyond 
some hard words and brandishing of swords and dag¬ 
gers by moonlight, which rather added to the pictur¬ 
esqueness of the scene, never ended in any thing very 
serious. 

M Calo el chapeo, requirio la espada, 

Miro al soslayo, fuese y no hubo nada.” 

The river was now rising so rapidly, that in order 
to reach our camp in the neighborhood of the village, 
we w r ere obliged to place canoes across the main 
street leading to it, for fear of coming in contact with 
any of the numerous tenants of that stream. About 
this time the fish, conscious of the approaching inun¬ 
dation of the savannas, commence to ascend the river 
in search of those places best suited for spawning; 
and so great is the number of those that seek a nup¬ 
tial rendezvous, that the noise they make in the 
water can be heard at some distance from the river. 
During their migration the water becomes so tainted 
with their flavor, that it is unfit to drink or wash in. 
Desirous of obtaining some live specimens for sketch¬ 
ing, I procured a tarraya , or throw net, which I re¬ 
quested one of our men to launch near the bank ; he 


SCENES AT THE PASS OF APURITO. 


417 


did so; but when he tried to lift it, he found it im¬ 
possible unassisted, which made us fear that the net 
had got entangled among snags at the bottom of the 
river. A companion was called to our assistance, and 
between us three, we soon brought it up, when, to my 
astonishment and delight, I found the net full of cop- 
oros , palometas , and other delicacies ; the caribes, 
however, soon rendered it perfectly useless, which 
circumstance I considered a misfortune, as I could 
not keep the fish long without spoiling. Next day I 
was advised by one of the villagers to place three or 
four canoes, partly filled with water, across the stream ; 
the fish, finding their progress arrested by the obstruc¬ 
tion, endeavored to jump over; in doing which they 
fell in the canoes by hundreds. The contrivance suc¬ 
ceeded so well, that every morning I could depend 
on a plentiful supply, both for my sketch-book and 
the frying-pan. My attention was particularly at¬ 
tracted this time by a large fish called the valenton , 
from its great strength which, as I was informed, 
enables him to drag a canoe after him when caught 
with the hook and line. A distressing occurrence 
took place there which nearly cost the life of a young 
man while engaged in fishing for the valenton . The 
angler and a friend were engaged in conversation, 
with their lines thrown carelessly over the sides of 
the canoe, when the fish seized the bait and ran off, 
as he is in the habit of doing. The jerk was so vio¬ 
lent, that the young man was unable to hold the line, 
and allowed it to slip through his hands; he was not 
aware that at the end of the line there was another 
hook, which buried itself in the thumb of his right 


418 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


hand; the next moment he was violently pitched in 
the water and dragged for some distance, when for¬ 
tunately the line broke, and he was picked up almost 
insensible by his companion. During its gambols in 
the river, the valenton jumps sometimes three feet 
clear out of the water, raising a large volume of 
spray and striking the surface with its powerful tail 
in its fall; so great is the splash, that the noise can 
be heard a great distance off, especially in the still¬ 
ness of the night, when the fish seems to be more 
busily engaged in hunting. 

The payara also delights at this time in those 
jumps so much dreaded by fishermen,* and even by 
people wearing any red garment about their persons ; 
for this fish, like the caribe, is said to be attracted by 
that color, just as wild bulls are ; so much so that 
it often happens that one of them springs on people 
thus attired in the canoes, though it always pays 
dearly for its temerity, as, in consequence of the pecu¬ 
liar structure of its jaws, the fish cannot disentangle 
itself from the garment, to which it remains attached 
until released by the hand of its intended victim, who 
is very glad of the chance thus unexpectedly thrown 
in his way, for the payara is a most delicious fish, 
often weighing twenty and thirty pounds, and withal 
very beautiful. Of this savage propensity people 
avail themselves to capture this fish without hook or 
line, on the large rivers, such as the Apure and Ori¬ 
noco, where they seem to be most daring ; a piece of 


* See page 62 . 


SCENES AT THE PASS OF APURITO. 


419 


red flannel, or some other strong material, tied to the 
end of a long rod, being sufficient for the sport : the 
tempting bait is held over the side of the canoe a few 
inches above the surface of the water, and no sooner 
does the fish perceive the alluring decoy, than with one 
spring it seizes it and remains as firmly attached to 
it, as if held by an iron bolt ; for in addition to its 
formidable row of teeth, which are long and sharp as 
needles, the payara has on the lower jaw two very 
much elongated fangs that penetrate the head through 
corresponding passages in it which allow the points to 
protrude close to the eyes of the fish, and unless it 
tears off the piece, as it often does to the naked and 
arnatto-stained Indian while paddling his canoe, the 
payara perishes by .its own arms. 

Among the many eventful incidents of la Inde- 
pendencia still fresh in the memory of our Leader, 
he relates an anecdote in connection with the Liberta- 
dor , Simon Bolivar, in which both these champions 
of freedom participated while engaged on an im¬ 
portant reconnoissance during the rainy season. The 
savannas being, as usual, overflowed for the most part, 
and there being no other means of transportation than 
the frail canoes of the country, the two chieftains were 
compelled to travel in one of these over their inundated 
domain, with the assistance of two Indian paddlers. 
Fish were so numerous, that numbers of them, dis¬ 
turbed by the strokes of the paddles against the sides 
of the canoe, jumped in all directions, while not a few 
fell amidst the distinguished passengers. The Liber- 
tador who, like almost all great men, had also his 
weak points, possessed a very nervous temperament, 


420 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


especially about little things ; therefore he felt quite 
uneasy at the unceremonious intrusion from the finny 
inhabitants of his swampy realms, whose movements 
he mistook for a mischievous propensity on their part 
to attack the wayfarer. On the other hand, our 
Leader, who was always ready to practise a good joke, 
seized the opportunity to occasionally tip the canoe so 
as to make it ship water, and more fish along with it. 
"Whereupon his companion, who w^as not aware of the 
trick practised upon him, imagining that the fish were 
becoming bolder as they advanced, exclaimed in utter 

despair, “ D-n it! Comjpanero , let us pull back, for 

even the fish are savage in tins country.” 

When the waters subside, thousands, nay, millions 
remain struggling in the ponds and little pools, left on 
the savannas, where they soon perish and rot away, 
tainting the air with their effluvium. Some of them, 
like the curito , a species of Silurus, covered wfith trans¬ 
verse plates surrounding the body, have the power of 
living buried in the indurated mud, from whence they 
are called to life again by the returning showers. 
As they form a most delicious mess, they are eagerly 
sought by men and women, who resort to these places 
armed with wicker baskets, and collect great numbers 
of the fish before they are carried away by the in¬ 
creasing inundation of the savannas. 

A very singular belief, shared likewise, according 
to Sir Emerson Tennent, by the people of Ceylon, 
exists in the Apure respecting fish falling from the 
clouds. Alluding to this phenomenon, that ingenious 
writer observes : “ Both at Galle and Colombo in the 
southwest monsoon, fish are popularly believed to 


SCENES AT THE PASS OF APURITO. 


421 


have fallen from the clouds during violent showeas; 
but those found on the occasions that give rise to this 
belief, consist of smallest fry, such as could he caught 
up by water-spouts and vortices analogous to them, 
or otherwise blown on shore from the surf; whereas 
those which suddenly appear in the replenished tanks 
and in the hollows which they overflow, are mature 
and well-grown fish. Besides, the latter are found 
under the circumstances I have described, in all parts 
of the interior, whilst the prodigy of a supposed fall 
of fish from the sky has been noticed, I apprehend, 
only in the vicinity of the sea or of some inland 
water.” 

Although the author further explains the phenom¬ 
enon on the supposition that some fish are endowed 
with the power of locomotion over land, while others 
in a torpid state remain buried in the mud until the 
return of the rainy season; yet, I have been assured 
by reliable persons that live fish have been picked up 
in places where no such possible contingencies could 
occur ; for instance, upon the roofs of houses or amidst 
wide plains far from running water. Most of those 
thus found are small, from three to seven inches 
long ; but none of them capable of living more than 
twenty minutes out of water ; and the father of the 
writer once even witnessed a fall of hocachicos , a fish 
which seldom lives over five minutes out of its own 
element. 

In support of these views, which were embodied 
in my Wild Scenes in South America , I now have 
the pleasure of adding the testimony of no less an 


422 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


authority than Gosse, who has collected a number 
of authentic examples of this phenomenon in his 
Romance of Natural History. According to his 
statements, fish-showers have occurred in all parts 
of the world, not even excepting his own country— 
England,—where, early in 1859, the newspapers of 
South Wales recorded a shower of fish in the Valley 
of Aberdare. The repeated statements attracted 
more notice than usual, and the Rev. John Griffith, 
the vicar of the parish, communicated the results of 
his inquiries to the Evening Mail . 

“ If now we look to other lands,” continues the 
author, “ we shall find that the descent of fishes from 
the atmosphere, under conditions little understood, 
is a phenomenon which rests on indubitable evidence. 
Humboldt has published interesting details of the 
ejection of fish in large quantities from volcanoes in 
South America. On the night between the 19th and 
20th of June, 1698, the summit of Carguairazo, a 
volcano more than 19,000 feet in height, fell in, and 
the surrounding country for nearly thirty-two square 
miles was covered with mud and fishes. A similar erup ¬ 
tion of fish from the volcano of Imbfebura was supposed 
to have been the cause of a putrid fever which raged 
in the town of Ibarra seven years before that period.” 

This is accounted for on the supposition that sub¬ 
terraneous lakes, communicating with surface-waters, 
form in cavities in the declivities, or at the base of a 
volcano. In the course of time these internal cavities 
are burst open by the force of the volcanic explosions, 
and their contents discharged through the water. 


SCENES AT THE PASS OP APURITO. 423 

But the most extraordinary account recorded by 
Gosse is that of Dr. Buist, of Bombay, who, after 
enumerating the cases above cited, and others of 
similar character, goes on to say :—“ In 1824 fishes 
fell at Meerut on the men of her Majesty's 14th 
Begiment, then out at drill, and were caught in num¬ 
bers. In July, 1826, live fish were seen to fall on the 
grass at Moradabad during a storm. They were the 
common Cyprinus, so prevalent in our Indian waters. 
On the 19th of February, 1830, at noon, a heavy fall 
of fish occurred at the Nokulhatty factory, in the 
Dacfcah Zillah; depositions on the subject were ob¬ 
tained from nine different parties. The fish were all 
dead ; most of them were large ; some were fresh ; 
others were rotten and mutilated. They were seen 
at first in the sky, like a flock of birds, descending 
rapidly to the ground ; there was rain drizzling, but 
no storm. On the 16 th and 17th of May, 1833, a 
fall of fish occurred in the Zillah of Foottehpoor, 
about three miles north of Jumna, after a violent 
storm of wind and rain. The fish were from a pound 
and a half to three pounds in weight, and the same 
species as those found in the tanks in the neighbor¬ 
hood. They were all dead and dry. A fall of fish 
occurred at Allahabad during a storm in May, 1835 ; 
they were of the chowla species, and were found dead 
and dry after the storm had passed over the district. 
On'the 20th of September, 1839, after a smart shower 
of rain, a quantity of fish, about three inches in 
length, and all of the same kind, fell at the Sunder- 
bunds, about twenty miles south of Calcutta. On 


424 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


this occasion it was remarked that the fish did not 
fall here and there irregularly over the ground, but in 
a continuous straight line, not more than a span in 
breadth. The vast multitudes of fish with which the 
low grounds around Bombay are covered, about a 
week or ten days after the first burst of the mon¬ 
soon, appear to be derived from the adjoining pools 
or rivulets, and not to descend from the sky. They 
are not, as far as I know, found in the higher parts 
of the island. I have never seen them, though I 
have watched carefully, in casks collecting water from 
the roofs of buildings, or heard of them on the decks 
or awnings of vessels in the harbor, where they must 
have appeared had they descended from the sky. 
One of the most remarkable phenomena of this kind 
occurred during a tremendous deluge of rain at Katty- 
war, on the 25th of July, 1850, where the ground around 
Bajkote was found literally covered with fish ; some 
of them were found on the top of haystacks, where 
probably they had been drifted by the storm. In the 
course of twenty-four successive hours twenty-seven 
inches of rain fell; thirty-five fell in twenty-six hours, 
seven inches in one hour and a half, being the heaviest 
fall on record. At Poonah, on the 3d of August, 
1852, after a very heavy fall of rain, multitudes of 
fish were caught on the ground in the cantonments, 
full half a mile from the nearest stream. If showers 
of fish are to be explained on the assumption -that 
they are carried up by squalls or violent winds from 
rivers or spaces of water not far away from where they 
fall, it would be nothing wonderful were they seen to 


SCENES AT THE PASS OF APURITO. 


425 


descend from the air during the furious squalls which 
occasionally occur in July.” 

Sir E. Tennent, before cited, also witnessed in 
Ceylon another of those fish-showers :—“ I had an 
opportunity, on one occasion only, of witnessing the 
phenomenon which gives rise to this popular belief. 
I was driving in the cinnamon gardens near the fort 
of Colombo, and saw a violent but partial shower 
descend at no great distance before me. On coming 
to the spot, I found a multitude of small silvery fish, 
from one and a half to two inches in length, leaping 
on the gravel of the high road, numbers of which I 
collected and brought away in my palanquin. The 
spot was about half a mile from the sea, and entirely 
unconnected with any water-course or pool/' * 

The same curious fact respecting the habits of 
certain kinds of fish in the Llanos , which bury them¬ 
selves in the mud at the close of the rainy season, 
also appears to take place in India and Ceylon; for, 
according to Gosse, “ the pools, reservoirs, and tanks 
are well provided with fish of various species, though 
the water twice every year becomes perfectly evapo¬ 
rated, and the mud of the bottom is entirely converted 
into dust, or takes the condition of baked clay, gaping 
with wide and deep clefts, in which not the slightest 
sign of moisture can he detected. This is the case 
with temporary hollows in the soil, which have no 
connection with running streams or permanent waters, 


Natural History of Ceylon. 


426 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


from which they might he supposed to receive a fresh 
stock of fish.” 

After proving conclusively that these fishes could 
not proceed from either the clouds, as the generality 
of people believe, nor from impregnated ova, as 
Mr. Farrell suggests, the author observes :—“ Neither 
of these hypotheses, then, will account for the fact; 
and we must admit that the fishes of these regions, 
have the instinct to burrow down in the solid mud of 
the bottom, at the approach of the dry season, and 
the power of retaining life, doubtless in a torpid con¬ 
dition, until the return of the periodic rains, as Theo¬ 
phrastus long ago observed.” 

But, who ever heard of showers of toads and frogs ? 
Yet, such is the fact, astonished reader ; and were 
you to visit with me some of the lagoons and ponds 
of South America at night, you would not fail to 
notice that the air, as well as the earth and waters, 
seems filled with the piercing, deafening noise pro¬ 
ceeding from them. “ According to travellers in 
tropical America, the inhabitants of Porto Bello assert 
that every drop of rain is changed into a toad ; the 
most instructed, however, believe that the spawn 
of these animals is raised with the vapor from the 
adjoining swamps, and, being driven in the clouds 
over the city, the ova are hatched as they descend in 
rain. 'Tis certain that the streets after a night of 
heavy rain are almost covered with the ill-favored 
reptiles ; and it is imposible to walk without crush¬ 
ing them. But heretic philosophers point to the 
mature growth of the vermin, many of them being 


SCENES AT THE PASS OF APURITO. 


427 


six inches in length, and maintain that the hypo¬ 
thesis just mentioned will scarcely account for the 
appearance of these.” * 

But it is not South America alone that can boast 
of such an extraordinary phenomenon ; for the same 
accomplished author records similar showers as occur¬ 
ring in England and various parts of the Continent: 
“ In two or three of these cases, the toads were not 
only observed in countless numbers on the ground 
during and after heavy storms of rain, hut were seen 
to strike upon the roofs of houses, hounding thence 
into the streets ; they even fell upon the hats, and? 
in one instance, were actually received into the out¬ 
stretched hand.” 

It would seem that not even quadrupeds are 
exempt there, from the same rule, for we often hear 
the phrase in English, u If it should rain cats and 
dogs,” which I, for want of a better acquaintance with 
English phraseology, am at a loss how to interpret. 
We all know that stone-showers are not uncommon, 
especially ever since “ the thunderer,” Jupiter, alias 
JoVe, lost his power among us through the advancing 
strides of civilization. Previous to this, we are told 
of his paying occasional visits to his lady-loves on 
earth in the shape of golden showers, which have been 
exchanged subsequently for a less costly material; 
but showers of “ cats and dogs ” I do not believe 
ever occurred, even to an old sinner like him. 

* Gosse, Romance of Natural History. 


CHAPTER XXV. 


THE WONDERS OF THE RIVER. 

Marvellous as the Apure river is in point of 
living creatures, it is nothing in comparison with the 
Orinoco, into which it flows, and the Amazon river, 
that connects with the Orinoco through the Casi- 
quiare and Rio Negro. The recent explorations 
of Professor Agassiz in the Amazon, and the former 
researches of Wallace on the latter river, prove, 
I hope conclusively, that my statements concern¬ 
ing the fishes of these regions are far below the 
mark in point of«numbers, and that there is no end 
to the varieties. Wallace, who spent nearly four 
years on the Rio Negro collecting objects of natural 
history for the British Museum, and whose principal 
fare consisted of the fish caught by his men, tells us, 
“ I began now to take a great interest in the beauty 
and variety of the species, and, whenever I could, I 
made accurate drawings and descriptions of them. 
Many are of a most excellent flavor, surpassing any¬ 
thing I have tasted in England, either from the fresh 


THE WONDERS OF THE RIYER. 


429 


or the salt waters ; and many species have real fat, 
which renders the water they are boiled in a rich and 
agreeable broth. Not a drop of this Is wasted, but, 
with a little pepper and farinha , is all consumed, 
with as much relish as if it were the most delicate 
soup.” * 

And Agassiz, in his interesting lectures on the same 
subject, says : “ Now, what are the fishes which in¬ 
habit the Amazon ? for I wanted to say all this sim¬ 
ply as a preparation to give you some definite idea of 
the various types of fish which we find in that 
mighty basin. Not one of those fishes with which we 
are familiar in our rivers is to he found there ; not one 
of those which are known in the rivers of Europe is to 
he found there; not one from any other fresh water 
basin is to he found there. The Amazon has fishes of 
its own, utterly different from those of any other basin, 
and these fishes are different from those in all other 
fresh water rivers of Brazil, and in each part of the 
Amazon there are fish of a peculiar character, so 
that those which inhabit the lower course of the Ama¬ 
zon differ from those found in the upper. So great is 
the variety, that in small lakes of water, at parts of 
the Amazon, we find an endless variety. I examined 
a little lake, just at the junction of the Rio Negro 
with the Amazon. The lake was only a few hundred 
yards in extent, and in that pool, for it was hardly 
anything more, I found in the course of two months 
over two hundred different kinds of fish, and three 


* Travels on the Rio Negro. 


430 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


times larger than can be found in the Mississippi or 
in the Senegal or Granges or Nile. The number of 
fish found in the whole basin of the Amazon is not 
less than two thousand different kinds, that is, ten 
times as many as were known about a century ago to 
exist in the whole world. And strange to say, it would 
seem that, in proportion as we become acquainted 
with a larger number of these animals they should be 
found to resemble one another more and more. On 
the contrary, however, such are the peculiarities of 
their features, such is the infinite number of circum¬ 
stances which brings about differences among them, 
that in proportion as I find a larger and larger num¬ 
ber, I find the difference between them seems to grow, 
and though it appears paradoxical, it is strictly true.” 

And returning now fo the Orinoco, the good mis¬ 
sionary and historiographer of that noble river, Father 
Gumilla, tells us that “ So great is the multitude of 
fishes and turtles, that the slime, excrements and 
continual blood shed by those which devour or wound 
each other, is the principal cause of the heaviness and 
bad taste of the water of the Orinoco, which is also 
the case in some of the rivers of Hungary, and can 
be more readily perceived in basins or reservoirs de¬ 
voted to the preservation of live fish, where the water 
soon becomes tainted and unpalatable, although it 
may go in and out freely. 

“ What astonishes still more is the novelty of the 
species and curious shapes of these fishes, so different 
from those of our Europe, for not even the sardinas 
have the flavor nor the shape of these. All that we 


THE WONDERS OF THE RIVER. 


431 


can say, after a careful examination of these fishes, is, 
this one resembles somewhat the trout, that one the 
sole, etc. ; but no one can say with certainty this is 
like any in Europe. But what of it, when it is a fact 
that the fish found in the waters of the tierra ca - 
liente are totally different from those of the tierra 
fr ia ? ” 

Of the modes of fishing practised by the Indians 
of his Mission, he also tells us many curious devices. 
“ Observe,” he says, “ those four canoes, manned by 
the boys of the Doctrina, and darting side by side 
along the river ; well, this is the most novel and the 
most curious mode of fishing ever devised, as the fishes 
here called Bocachicos, Palometas, Lizas, Sardinas, 
and many other kinds of smaller fry, jump of their 
own accord into the canoes in such quantities that, 
were not the paddlers expert enough and their craft 
propelled with such rapidity, these would soon fill up 
and sink with the weight of the fish that fall in them ; 
for each kind has its proper season for spawning, and 
with the object of saving some of their ova to multi¬ 
ply their species, they have been taught by the Su¬ 
preme Author of Nature to quit their haunts and 
seek some convenient eddy, where, placing their tails 
against the current, they receive in their gills the little 
eggs which may chance to fall in them ; and these are 
the only ones saved, the rest being devoured by other 
fishes, whose numbers at and near these currents is 
immense, one shoal crowding on the top of another.” 

In the rivers and streams of minor importance, 
where fish are not so abundant, the natives, by way 


432 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of pastime, and a*!so to vary tlieir fare, avail them¬ 
selves of the roots of two plants—the cuna and the 
barbasco ,* both of which possess the singular pecu¬ 
liarity of intoxicating fish, even when the smallest 
quantity of the juice of the roots is thrown in the 
stream, producing such commotion among the finny 
inhabitants, that they fall an easy prey to the Indians, 
who take a special delight in this wholesale slaughter. 
The cuna is a small plant, somewhat like clover, pro¬ 
ducing a bulbous root like a small turnip, but with 
very different smell and taste, and the barbasco , a 
vine, very common in all parts of the country, and 
although both are exceedingly deleterious to fish, they 
are not so to other creatures. The process is very 
simple: A quantity of the roots or vines is slightly 
pounded with a wooden mallet and thrown in the 
water, and no sooner do the fish perceive the smell of 
it, than they rush frantically up and down the stream 
to avoid its contact; those which take the former course 
find their progress arrested by a file of Indians, who, 
armed with poles, beat about the water to turn them 
back, which they quickly do, but only to find their 
retreat cut off in that direction too, for their cunning 
assailants have already taken the precaution to bar 
the stream with a double row of stakes, the lower one 
higher than the upper. Not discouraged in the least, 
the larger and stronger fish make another rush up the 
stream ; but no sooner do they come in contact with 
the noxious herb than they retreat again towards the 


* “Piscidea erithryna and Jacquinia armillaris.”— Humboldt . 


THE WONDERS OF THE RIVER. 


433 


barricade, and here, redoubling their energies, leap 
over the first row of stakes, and thus find themselves 
entrapped within the narrow limits of the stockade. 
In the meantime the smaller fish, having neither the 
strength nor the courage to save themselves, become 
thoroughly intoxicated with the juices already dis¬ 
seminated in the water, and fall an easy prey to the 
joyous urchins, who pounce upon them, and transfer 
them to the baskets they carry for the purpose. This 
is a very amusing mode of fishing, and during the ex¬ 
citement produces much' merriment among the In¬ 
dians ; now a fish slaps a redskin on the face with its 
tail; another one strikes against the bare ribs of some 
one else, which never fails to draw peals of laughter 
from their companions, who, in turn, become them¬ 
selves the laughing-stock of the others from similar 
mishaps. 

But the most amusing contrivance practised by 
these people with the cuna is the following : An In¬ 
dian takes a quantity of boiled maize and grinds it to 
paste ; one half of it is thoroughly incorporated with 
the cuna , while the other half he reserves as a decoy 
to attract the fish to a particular spot : he then calls 
his children, who, armed with baskets, follow their 
father to the stream; here the fisherman commences 
to throw small pellets of the unprepared paste in the 
water, which never fails to attract great numbers of 
sardines, palometas, and other delicacies, and changing 
suddenly his tactics, he exchanges the harmless bait 
for the other, which no sooner is swallowed by the 
fish, than they commence to turn somersaults in the 
19 


434 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

air, with other antics no less amusing to the boys, 
who as quickly transfer them to their baskets. It is 
almost incredible the amount of fish that is thus pro¬ 
cured in a short time, enabling a poor Indian not only 
to supply the wants of his family, but to afford his 
children a lively recreation. 

Still another mode of fishing, equally ingenious, is 
practised by the Indians when the waters commence 
to ebb towards the Orinoco at the end of the great 
floods, by means of strong stockades thrown across the 
outlet of the great lagunas, which are the receptacle 
of immense quantity of larger game, such as turtles 
and vagres (species of catfish) weighing from fifty to 
seventy-five pounds ; laulaus or valentones, from two 
hundred and fifty to three hundred pounds ; and above 
all, innumerable manatis, from five hundred to one 
thousand pounds. European Spaniards call this ani¬ 
mal Vaca Marina , or sea cow, and the Brazilians 
Peixe Boi, ox-fish, from its feeding on grass, and other 
peculiarities which assimilate it to . the bovine species. 
The manati abounds in the Apure, the Meta, and 
most of the large tributaries of th-e Orinoco below 
the cataracts, and more especially in the lagoons 
formed by these rivers during the season of great 
floods, which he prefers on account of the abundant 
and tender food they offer them. Of this the astute 
Indians avail themselves to entrap them, as no sooner 
do the waters commence to fall than they watch at¬ 
tentively the channel through which the lake they have 
chosen as a fish-magazine—for no better name can 
bo applied, from the finny multitude they socure there 


THE WONDERS OF THE RIVER. 435 

for months—is likely to drain off. To this spot resort 
the entire population of the village or tribe, who im¬ 
mediately commence to cut stakes of the requisite 
length and of great thickness, to resist the onset of 
the formidable phalanxes of monster fishes seeking a 
passage to the river. The stakes are then diiven in 
the bed of the'channel close enough to permit only 
the exit of the water and of the smaller fish, excluding 
the turtles and the fisU of greater magnitude. The 
stockade is further reinforced by cross-beams of great 
strength thrown across the channel, firmly secured at 
both ends, and resting against the stakes; and for 
greater security they further strengthen them by an 
outer row of trunks of trees driven in the ground 
close to the stockade. It may appear superfluous to 
take such precautions against the apparently defence¬ 
less hosts imprisoned within the boundaries of the 
lagoon ; but so great and powerful are in fact the 
avalanches of manatis struggling against this formi¬ 
dable barrier, that it is often found necessary to rein¬ 
force it twice, and even three times in the course of 
the season. 

Indeed it is scarcely credible, the number and size 
of the creatures secured in this manner, whole tribes 
of Indians subsisting for months together on the sup¬ 
ply afforded by one of these reservoirs ; but as these 
lagoons eventually drain off towards the close of the 
rainy season, and the Indians cannot exhaust them in 
spite of their insatiate voracity, they are compelled at 
last, though reluctantly, to remove the obstruction in 
time to allow the fish to return to the bed of the 


436 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


stream before they are cut off from it; and it is 
asserted that on one occasion, having neglected this 
precaution in time, more than three thousand mana- 
tis, and a still greater number of large fish, perished 
in the shallow water of one of these lagoons, with the 
exception only of the turtles, who were, of course, in 
their element. 

The manati is a herbivorous animal of the ceta¬ 
ceous family, of which the whale is the type, and at¬ 
tains here from twelve to fifteen feet in length. Some 
are caught that weigh over a thousand pounds. In 
shape it resembles a seal somewhat, though its eyes 
and auricular organs are extremely small, but very 
acute, so much so that great care is required on the 
part of the fisherman who goes in pursuit of it, not to 
strike the sides of his canoe with the paddle and 
frighten the game off. Its principal means of propul¬ 
sion exist in its tail, which is flat and round, from 
three to four feet broad, and very powerful; but it 
possesses in addition two pectoral fins, or armlets, sit¬ 
uated at a proportionate distance from the head, and 
these enable the animal to come out of the water to 
browse on the rich herbage by the banks of rivers and 
lagoons : these armlets serve the female, in addition, to 
hold its young—always two in number, male and fe¬ 
male—close to its breasts, until they are old enough 
to follow the mother and eat grass, their only food; 
and it is a curious fact, that although the mother often 
delights—as is the habit of these cetacea—in gambols 
in the water, when they sometimes jump several feet 
outof their element, they never lose hold of their twins. 


THE WONDERS OF THE RIVER. 


437 


The anatomy of this fresh-water whale is very cu¬ 
rious, according to Humboldt, who dissected one while 
on his way to the Orinoco. “ The upper lip was four 
inches longer than the lower one. It was covered with 
a very fine skin, and served as a proboscis. The in¬ 
side of the mouth, which has a sensible warmth in 
the animal newly killed, presented a very singular 
conformation. The tongue was almost motionless ; 
but in front of the tongue there was a fleshy excres¬ 
cence in each jaw, and a cavity lined with a very hard 
skin, into which the excrescence fitted. The manati 
eats such quantities of grass that we have found its 
stomach, which is divided into several cavities, and its 
intestines (one hundred and eight feet long) filled with 
it. Opening the animal at the back, we were struck 
with the magnitude, form, and situation of its lungs. 
They have very large cells, and resemble immense 
swimming-bladders. They are three feet long; filled 
with air, they have a bulk of more than a thousand 
cubic inches. I was surprised to see that, possessing 
such receptacles of air, the manati comes so often to 
the surface of the water 4o breathe. Its flesh is very 
savory, though, from what prejudice I know not, it is 
considered unhealthy and apt to produce fever. It ap¬ 
peared to me to resemble pork rather than beef. It is 
most esteemed by the Guamos and Ottomacs ; and 
these two nations are particularly expert in catching 
the manati. The fat of the animal, known by the 
name of manati-butter (manteca de manati) is used 
for lamps in the churches, and is also employed in 
preparing food. It has not the fetid smell of whale 


438 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


oil, or that of the other cetaceous animals which spout 
water. The hide of the manati, which is more than 
an inch and a half in thickness, is cut into slips, and 
serves, like thongs of ox-leather, to supply the place 
of cordage in the Llanos. When immersed in water, 
it has the defect of undergoing a slight degree of pu¬ 
trefaction. Whips are made from it in the Spanish 
colonies. Hence the words latigo and manati are 
synonymous. These whips of manati leather are a 
cruel instrument of punishment for the unhappy 
slaves, and even for the Indians of the Missions, 
though, according to the laws, the latter ought to he 
treated like freemen.” 

The address displayed by an Indian of the Orinoco 
in capturing with the harpoon one of these monsters 
and bringing it into port, with only the assistance of 
his wife to paddle and steer the frail canoe, is most 
wonderful. While the woman propels the canoe, the 
man stands erect at the bow, watching intently the 
moment when the manati comes up to the surface to 
breathe, which it does every few minutes. Off flies 
the double-barbed harpoon from the hands of the fish¬ 
erman, and implants itself in the thick hide of the 
doomed monster, which no sooner feels the piercing 
blow, than away it darts at a fearful rapidity, drag¬ 
ging along after it the frail canoe, to the bow of which 
is attached one end of the thong made from the tough 
hide of the manati, while to the other end is firmly 
secured the iron head of the harpoon itself. After 
vain endeavors to avoid the danger that threatens it, 
now dashing rapidly against the stream for an hour or 


THE WONDERS OF THE RIYER. 


439 


so, now seeking the calm surface of a neighboring la¬ 
goon, during which time the sporting couple manage 
with difficulty to keep their seats at the bottom of the 
canoe, holding fast to the sides of it with both hands, 
the monster, bleeding and exhausted after its precipi¬ 
tate flight, begins at last to slacken its pace, and 
finally stops altogether. Now the hunter commences 
to puli it towards him with much caution ; but no 
sooner does the animal perceive the dreaded canoe 
with its savage occupants, than off it sets anew at the 
same lightning speed, though this time of less duration; 
again the hunter pulls the game towards him, and 
again it endeavors to fly from him ; but having lost 
nearly all its strength, and probably convinced of the 
uselessness of further efforts to escape, it now stops, 
rolls on its back, and calmly awaits its fate on the 
surface of the water. By this time the canoe is 
alongside of the captive, and, without further concern, 
the Indian cuts it open with his knife, and as soon as 
the water penetrates to its entrails, the great monster 
dies without a struggle. And now, “ what shall we 
do with it,” in the midst of a river or lagoon four or 
five miles in width P How is this creature—weighing 
perhaps a thousand pounds, and nearly as long as the 
canoe—to be landed safely on the shore ? How can a 
a single man, assisted only by a frail woman, without 
firm ground to set their feet Bpon, manage to stow 
away the cumbrous load ? Nothing easier, incredu¬ 
lous reader ; “ first catch the hare and then make the 
soup,” and this the Indian hunter daily practises in 
his native wilds, without much culinary advice from 


440 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Mrs. Grlass. Having secured their game, the hunters, 
or fishers, plunge in the water, swimming all the while 
with their feet and one hand, while with the other they 
tip over the canoe until it partly fills with water, which 
brings it on a level with the carcass of the manati; this 
accomplished, the rest of the operation is easily done 
by sliding the canoe under the carcass, and then baling 
out the water by means of calabash cups, which cover 
their heads in lieu of hats. In proportion as they 
bale out the water, the canoe rises above the surface, 
and when sufficiently high to permit its being safely 
navigated through the boisterous waves of the Orinoco, 
the husband leaps on the head of the animal and 
calmly takes his seat, while the wife does the same 
on the broad tail of the monster fish, and directing the 
bow of the canoe towards the shore, they paddle them¬ 
selves along with their cumbrous freight, which is 
soon disposed of among the numerous relations and 
friends, who anxiously await their arrival on the 
beach. 



















































SCENES AT EL DORADO—From a Photograph 











































































































CHAPTER XXYI. 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


“ And yet unspoiled 

Guiana, -whose great city Geryon’e sous # 

Call El Dorado .”—Paradise Lost, Book xi. 

Before we quit the shores of the Apure, I will 
invite the reader to follow me in imagination, or, 
better still, in one of the many bongos trading be¬ 
tween this and the Orinoco river, on to the adjoining 
province of Guayana, or Guiana , as it is more com¬ 
monly known among English writers and explorers. 
This will give us an opportunity of gliding over one 
of the greatest rivers in the world, which nearly en¬ 
circles a vast territory hardly known to civilized man, 
that is just now attracting a great deal of notice 
on account of the recent gold discoveries made there ; 
a country unsurpassed in natural treasures and re¬ 
sources ; a sort of hidden paradise which greedy gold- 
hunters of former times sought in vain under the 

* Guerior ? This was the name of a town founded at the conflu¬ 
ence of the Paragua and Caroni rivers, long since destroyed or aban¬ 
doned .—The Author . 


442 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


gilded name of El Dorado, and which, strange to 
say, has remained, like the wealth of California, un¬ 
discovered until recently. 

What a train of awful recollections this once magic 
name of El Dorado brings to mind ! What tales 
of woe, of daring adventure and blasted hopes it has 
left behind for the entertainment and raillery of sub¬ 
sequent generations ! And yet, the gallant Raleigh 
—Sir Walter—like Galileo before the tribunal of the 
Inquisition, was right in his belief that there was gold 
enough in Guay ana to load the entire fleet of Great 
Britain in his time. 

But let us not anticipate the narrative of events, 
which will come, each one in its turn. Availing our¬ 
selves, therefore, of the gentle current of the Apure, 
we will proceed on our journey, stopping here and 
there to get a shot at the enormous crocodiles— 
larger than any we have yet seen—which infest its 
waters near its confluence with the Orinoco ; and 
perhaps also at some thirsty jaguar taking its young 
to drink. Humboldt has described these scenes so 
vividly, that I must refer the reader to the third 
volume of his “ Travels,” Bohn’s edition, for further 
information on the subject. 

Proceeding down the river, which here presents 
the singularity of becoming narrower, on account of 
infiltrations through a spongy and sandy soil, as well 
as other causes, we come suddenly upon a vast ex¬ 
panse of waters, presenting all the appearance of an 
agitated sea, from the conflict between breeze and 
current. This is the grand old river we are in 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


448 


quest of, the Orinoco. u The air resounded no longer 
with the piercing cries of herons, flamingos, and 
spoonbills, crossing in long files from one shore to the 
other. Our eyes sought in vain those water-fowls, the 
habits of which vary in each climate. Scarcely could 
we discover in the hollows of the waves a few large 
crocodiles, cutting obliquely, by the help of their long 
tails, the surface of the agitated waters. The horizon 
was bounded by a zone of forests, which nowhere 
reached so far as the bed of the river. A vast beach, 
constantly parched by the heat of the sun, desert and 
bare as the shores of the sea, resembles at a distance, 
from the effects of the mirage, pools of stagnant 
water. In these scattered features, we recognize the 
course of the Orinoco, one of the most majestic rivers 
of the New World.” * 

At this point the Orinoco, already enriched with 
the tribute of the Guaviare, the Inirida, the Meta, 
and the Arauca, which, like the Apure, have their 
sources amidst the snowy mountains of New Granada, 
suddenly changes its course, and, in conjunction with 
the latter, flows nearly in a straight line towards the 
Atlantic, after describing an arc of a circle around 
the western portion of Guayana. The vast territory 
thus encompassed within its mighty embrace gives 
rise also to numerous other rivers hardly inferior in 
magnitude to the above-named, such as the Yentuari, 
the Cuchivero, the Paragua, the Caura, the Caroni, 
etc., all of which flow into the Orinoco from the 

* Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America. 


444 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


south, thus contributing to swell the volume of its 
waters to the extent that it presents by the time 
it reaches the ocean on the fifteenth meridian of 
longitude east of "Washington. Our route being in 
this direction also, we will not follow the illustrious 
traveller in his laborious exploration of the Upper 
Orinoco, the Casiquiare and the Rio Negro. I would, 
however, advise those who are not conversant with 
his works to read his description of the Raudales , or 
Great Rapids of Atures and Maipures, which he has 
sketched with a masterly hand in his Tableaux de 
la Nature. The following passage, quoted from said 
work, will convey to the reader some idea of the mag¬ 
nificence of the river at that point:— 

Ci A foaming surface of four miles in length pre¬ 
sents itself at once to the eye : iron black masses of 
rock, resembling ruins and battlemented towers, rise 
frowning from the waters. Rocks and islands are 
adorned with the luxuriant vegetation of the tropical 
forest; a perpetual mist hovers over the waters, and 
the summits of the lofty palms pierce through the 
clouds of spray and vapor. When the rays of the 
glowing evening sun are refracted in their humid ex¬ 
halations, a magic optical effect begins. Colored 
hows shine, vanish, and reappear ; and the ethereal 
image is swayed to and fro by the breath of the 
sportive breeze. During the long rainy season, the 
streaming waters bring down islands of vegetable 
mould, and thus the naked rocks are studded with 
bright flower-beds adorned with melastomas and 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


445 


droseras, and with silver-leaved mimosas and ferns. 
These spots recall to the recollection of the European 
those blocks of granite decked with flowers which rise 
solitary amidst the glaciers of Savoy, and are called 
by the dwellers in the Alps ‘ Jardins/ or 4 Courtils/ ” 

This is the country of the India-rubber and the 
Brazil-nut trees, two of the most stupendous denizens 
of the tropical forest ; of the wild cacao, the fragrant 
sarapia, or tonka-bean, the sassafras-laurel, the ananas 
or wild pine-apple, and of numberless other useful 
products, as well as baneful drugs ; for here is gath¬ 
ered the mavacure-vine, from the juice of which the 
Indians of this region compound the most virulent 
poison known in nature, the curare , which the natives 
employ most effectively in procuring game by the aid 
of their blow-pipes. So quick and certain are its 
effects, that an animal wounded by one of the small 
arrows used for the purpose drops dead before the 
creature is hardly conscious of its danger; and sin¬ 
gular enough, no evil effects whatever arise from 
partaking of the game thus killed ; for the curare is 
perfectly harmless when taken internally. 

The Raudales are at present a serious impediment 
to the free navigation of the river up to the frontiers 
of Brazil; although, as Humboldt justly remarks, 
this obstruction could be avoided by cutting a canal 
around them, the nature of the ground offering ample 
facilities for this purpose ; but this cannot be done 
advantageously until the country shall be better 
stocked with population than at present. 


446 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Proceeding down the stream, the only town of any 
importance we encounter on the route is Ciudad Bo¬ 
livar, formerly Angostura, which is the capital of the 
State of Guayana and a mart of considerable trade 
with the llanos of Apure, Calabozo, and Barinas. The 
old name of the city was changed in honor of the 
Liberator, Simon Bolivar, who, after expelling the 
Spaniards from New Granada, assembled here the 
first Congress which proclaimed the union of the 
republic of Colombia in 1819. Pleasantly situated 
on a bluff several feet above the high-water level of 
the river, about three hundred miles from the sea, and 
connected by its numerous tributaries with a country 
nearly as large as continental Europe, Ciudad Bolivar 
is destined to become the seat of a vast commerce, 
when the now almost desert region of Guayana shall 
have opened its golden treasures to an enterprising 
generation. At present it contains about ten thou¬ 
sand inhabitants ; has a fine cathedral, government 
house, and very handsome private residences and 
warehouses. The business, according to all accounts, 
has fallen off greatly since the war of seven years 
which, under the alleged name of Federation , devas¬ 
tated the rest of the republic. Happily for the State 
of Guayana, it has always been kept free from these 
periodical turmoils by the efforts of some truly patri¬ 
otic men—among others, John B. Dalla-Costa, Jr., the 
present President of the State, under whose enlight¬ 
ened administration public improvements, roads, hos¬ 
pitals, schools, etc., are being established, and the 
nucleus of a foreign immigration started on the way 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


447 


to the gold fields. The commercial houses are prin¬ 
cipally German, French, and Italian ; but of late 
many Southern refugees from the United States have 
been induced to try their fortunes on the banks of the 
Orinoco; and, judging from past experience in the 
rapid development of California and Australia, through 
the energies of the Anglo-Saxon race, the placers of 
that golden paradise bid fair to become another centre 
of commercial intercourse with foreign nations. 

It was from this place that the first expedition in 
search of El Dorado, on this side of the continent, set 
out in 1595. None of those composing it ever came 
back, however, to tell the sad tale of their discom¬ 
fiture by the fierce tribes of Indians which dwelt on 
the fine savannas lying between the Caroni and Para- 
gua rivers, beyond which popular belief, assisted by 
the traditions of the aborigines themselves, had settled 
definitely the existence of a region abounding in gold. 
Previous to this, however, the fame of El Dorado had 
spread over the western part of South America, and 
several expeditions had been fitted out in Venezuela, 
New Granada, Quito, and Peru, with the avowed ob¬ 
ject of conquering the wealthy empire of the Omeguas, 
whose sovereign, El Dorado, or the “ gilded king, 5 ' was 
represented as dwelling in palaces with columns of 
massive gold. The climate of that region being warm 
throughout the year, and the morals of the inhabitants 
not yet perverted by contact with their would-be 
civilizers, his majesty's attire, it was asserted, was in 
keeping with the glitter of his dominions ; a simple 
coating of balsamiferous resins, in which the country 


448 


TRAYELS AND ADVENTURES. 


abounds, followed by a sprinkling of gold-dust through 
the hollow tube of a bamboo, twice a day, being suf¬ 
ficient to distinguish him from the rest of his naked 
subjects : hence the name. But this sort of drapery 
being rather uncomfortable at bed-time, it was re¬ 
moved every night by simply washing with water—a 
most delightful luxury in warm countries—and as 
easily replaced on the following day. Where such 
embarras de richesse could be indulged in by a demi- 
savage monarch, gold mines must exist in abundance ; 
the sands of the rivers and lakes must consist of fine 
gold, and the pebbles and rocks of the same precious 
metal. People were not, however, in perfect accord 
respecting the precise locality of said auriferous king¬ 
dom ; some placing it on the eastern side of Guay- 
ana, as already stated, under the name of El Dorado 
de la Parime ; others, two hundred and fifty leagues 
t 9 the westward of this, near the eastern slope of the 
Andes of New Granada ; while not a few contended 
that it was situated in the country of the Omeguas, 
somewhere near the waters of the Upper Amazon. 

Such were the vague notions concerning the coun¬ 
try of El Dorado, which the people of former times 
sought in vain at the cost of many lives and vast 
amounts of treasure. Strange blindness ! when they 
had it right before their eyes ! for, as the noble mis¬ 
sionary writer often quoted, Father Gumilla, tells us 
respecting the wealth of South America : “ Let us 
ask the Englishman, Keymisco,* and other captains, 


Kcymis, the lieutenant of Raleigh. 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


449 


countrymen of his : Friends, what journeys are these ? 
for what purpose so many dangerous voyages, so many 
losses of treasure, ships, and sailors ? * Let us ask 
both Pizarros in Peru and Quito ; both Quesadas in 
Santa Fe de Bogota; Orellana, on the Maranon, and 
Berrio on the Meta, as well as many other famous 
chieftains : Gentlemen, what's your hurry ? what the 
object of so many armaments, marches, and arduous 
explorations, dangerous and painful?—‘We seek,' 
they answer ‘ the famous and opulent El Dorado : 
let no one, therefore, be astonished at our determina¬ 
tion and earnest purpose ; for what is worth much, 
must entail great sacrifices.' 

“ The Athenians burst into laughter when they 
met and heard Diogenes seeking for a man ; but they 
laughed most foolishly, inasmuch as th-e philosopher 
sought a man of truth only ! one who should profess 
it in earnest ; and it should have been a matter of 
shame, rather than raillery, with the men of Athens, 
to learn that so great a philosopher could not find one 
among them. But we shall not err if we laugh at 
the simplicity of those noble conquerors. Most sin¬ 
gular spectacle ! To see so many Spanish chieftains 
stumbling at each step over an El Dorado of inex¬ 
haustible richness, as is in reality the entire new king- 

* The first of the voyages undertaken at Raleigh’s expense was in 
1595 ; the second, that of Laurence Keymis, in 1596; the third, de¬ 
scribed by Thomas Masham, in 1597; and the fourth, in 1617. The 
‘first and the last only were performed by Raleigh in person. This 
celebrated man was beheaded October the 29th, 1618.— Humboldt. 


450 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


dom of Granada, and Tierra Firme, so abundant in 
gold, silver, and emerald mines, such as those already 
found within the jurisdictions of Pamplona, Mariquita, 
Muso, Neiva, Los Remedios, Antioquia, Anserma ? 
Choco, Barvacoas, and a great many more which are 
waiting to he brought to light, as is indicated by the 
golden sands carried down by rivers and torrents from 
the mountains ; thus showing their willingness to be 
disentombed. Therefore, if there are so many scores 
of Dorados, immensely rich and superabundant, only 
waiting to be worked ; why so much restlessness, so 
much expenditure and wandering after a Dorado ? 
What need had Peru to risk her militia in unknown 
regions to suffer and perish in pursuit of a Dorado, 
while she possesses the unrivalled golden fields of 
Cara valla, with many others ? And the inexhausti¬ 
ble silver mountain of Potosi, to say nothing of other 
veins of the same metal, almost innumerable, though 
less prolific P It was indeed a singular idea to seek 
abroad, at great. cost of life and treasure, the very 
thing they possessed at home.” * 

Nothing in the history of modern adventure can 
compare in hardihood, determination, and reckless 
disregard of life, with those haphazard undertakings 


* The predictions of the old Missionary of the Orinoco have been 
singularly verified in these latter times by the still more recent discov 
eries in Peru; for, as I write this, the news comes from that country 
that, in the mountains of Chanchamayo, Upper Amazon, “ some gold 
mines have been discovered, which, for their abundance and richness, 
surpass those of California.”— National, of Lima. 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


451 


in the heart of South America which, although prov¬ 
ing invariably most disastrous to their promoters, re¬ 
sulted ultimately in a real benefit to the colonial pos¬ 
sessions of Spain in the New World, by extending the 
geographical knowledge of those regions. To fully 
comprehend the nature of the task which these ad¬ 
venturers imposed upon themselves, it will suffice to 
say, with regard to Venezuela, that few spots only, 
and these far apart, were then occupied by Europeans 
along its extensive sea-coast. The thirst for gold, 
which characterized the spirit of the time, and the 
reputation the country enjoyed for the precious metal, 
as well as for the fine pearls obtained at Margarita 
and other places, had attracted thither a crowd of 
lawless adventurers from all parts of Europe, but more 
especially from Germany—the Emperor Charles the 
Fifth having, in an evil hour, granted to a company 
of Teutonic speculators all the territory comprised be¬ 
tween Cabo de la Vela and Maracapana, with privilege 
to capture and use as slaves all those of the native 
inhabitants who should resist their exactions. The 
power thus conferred on those merciless adventurers 
was freely used by them to enslave the doomed lords 
of the land, who were hunted like wild beasts in all 
directions, and quickly transported to the mines of 
Hispaniola, or Saint Domingo, where they perished 
by thousands, the native population of that island 
having already been exterminated in this manner. 
To accomplish their work more effectually, expeditions 
were organized and despatched to all parts of the 
country, some of which penetrated beyond the llanos 


452 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of Apure, Casanare, and Meta, as far as the Caqueta 
and Putumayo, tributary rivers of the Upper Amazon. 
0 thers, still more bold, disregarding the frigid blasts of 
the Sierra Nevada, with its dizzy precipices and yawn¬ 
ing chasms, sought the “ Land of gold ” in a westerly 
direction, fighting their way not only against a frowning 
nature, but also against the hardy mountain tribes, 
who disputed every inch of ground to the bearded in¬ 
vaders. It was in this manner that the rich domain 
of Cundinamarca, in New Granada, was made known 
to the colonists of Venezuela, by Nicholas Federmann, 
in 1539, although Jimenez de Quesada had preceded 
him, and Sebastian de Benalcazar, by the way of the 
river Magdalena from the coast of Cartagena. 

“ The junction of three bodies of troops on the 
table-land of New Granada,” says Humboldt, “ spread 
through all that part of America occupied by the 
Spaniards the news of an immensely rich and popu¬ 
lous country, which remained to be conquered. Se¬ 
bastian de Benalcazar marched from Quito by way of 
Popayan (1536) to Bogota ; Nicolas Federmann, 
coming from Venezuela, arrived from the east by the 
plains of Casanare and Meta. These two captains 
found, already settled on the table-land of Cundina¬ 
marca, the famous Adelantado Gonzalo Jimenez de 
Quesada, one of whose descendants I saw near Zipa- 
quird, with bare feet, attending cattle. The fortuitous 
meeting of the three conquistadores, one of the most 
extraordinary and dramatic events of the history of 
the conquest, took place in 1536.” 

No better avenger of the wrongs perpetrated on 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


453 


the unfortunate aborigines could have been provided 
against their merciless persecutors, than this phantom 
of untold wealth, which, like the fugitive fountain 
before Tantalus, haunted them day and night, in the 
camp of the wearied soldier, in the alcove of the 
proud Hidalgo, and even in the quiet seclusion of the 
cloister. And yet one cannot but admire the pluck 
of those hardy cavaliers of old who, regardless of the 
almost insuperable difficulties presented by an un¬ 
known and savage country, went boldly in search of 
this new Ophir over lofty mountain ranges and desert 
plains, which, even at this day, are the terror of the 
wayfarer. Three centuries later, when Bolivar, with 
a well-appointed army and better roads than Feder- 
mann met in his famous expedition, crossed the Cor¬ 
dilleras from the plains of Venezuela, and undertook 
the recovery of Hew Granada from the Spaniards in 
1819, he lost nearly all his baggage-mules, and many 
valuable lives besides, amidst the wintry paramos of 
that tempestuous ridge. 

Of the earliest expeditions in search of El Dorado, 
those undertaken by Jorge de Spira in 1534, and by 
Felipe de Urre or Utre,* in 1541, from the coast of 
Coro, Venezuela, rank among the most extraordinary 
on record. The former of these worthies had received 
the title of adelantado, or governor, to the German 
colony in Tierra Firme, a dignity which was associated 
in those days with the more vainglorious aspirations 

* Jorge de Spira (George von Speier) and Felipe de Utre (Utre, 
Von Huten), as well as Federmann, were all Germans. 


454 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of the conqueror, or conquistador , and to this end were 
directed, more or less, all the efforts of the men ap¬ 
pointed to places of distinction in the New World, 
without neglecting to provide themselves with the 
more substantial perquisities of the fraternity in the 
shape of Indian captives, pearls, and gold. Accord¬ 
ingly, the Adelantado took especial care to bring with 
him from Spain a force of about four hundred men, 
many of whom were persons of distinction, and landed 
in Coro in the early part of February of that year. 

Without troubling himself much about the affairs 
of the colony, the new Adelantado proceeded immedi¬ 
ately to scour the country in search of gold ; but find¬ 
ing none amongst the savage tribes he encountered 
beyond the mountains of the coast, boldly plunged 
into the mare magnum of the llanos, in spite of the 
opposition of the natives and the asperity of the route. 
The vernal deluge of the low lands, however, put a 
stop in due time to further progress, compelling him 
to seek the protection of the hilly country to the west¬ 
ward, where years after was founded the city of Bari- 
nas. Here he spent several months waiting for the 
return of the dry season, and in vain endeavors to ob¬ 
tain provisions in a country solely inhabited by savage 
tribes, that did not disdain to confront the superior 
mettle of his men whenever they had a chance. Re¬ 
duced at last to the greatest extremity by famine and 
sickness, the Governor despatched a portion of his 
force under one of his most tried captains, with orders 
to penetrate into the valleys formed by the lofty range 
of mountains further west. 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


455 


Goaded by hunger, and with the hope of finding 
more promising realms than those they had encoun¬ 
tered on the route from Coro, the soldiers of Spira did 
not stop until they discovered on a high mountain 
what seemed to be the granary of the tribes apper¬ 
taining to that district, which they were not slow in 
transporting to headquarters. Somewhat restored with 
this opportune supply of food, and not in the least 
daunted by the dangers that threatened him, Spira 
resolved to proceed on his forlorn journey, sending 
back to Coro the sick and wounded under a compe¬ 
tent escort, which was to rejoin him in his camp. 
This accomplished, the Adelantado resumed his march 
across the plains in a southward direction. Keeping 
in sight of the western cordillera, and guided by the 
celestial constellations at night, Spira and his brave 
companions presented the spectacle so well described 
by Goldsmith in the following lines :— 

“ To distant climes, a dreary scene, 

Where half the convex world intrudes between, 

Through torrid tracks with fainting step they go.” 

The Deserted Village. 

After several months of arduous vicissitudes, when 
they nearly all perished for want of provisions, sub¬ 
sisting in the mean time on the tender shoots of 
heliconias and the most loathsome reptiles, they stop¬ 
ped at last on the banks of the river Upia, having 
crossed many others of no less consequence, such as 
the Apure, the Sarare, and the Casanare, by what 
means the chronicles of the time do not tell us. 
Completely exhausted now, and again threatened by 


456 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


the approaching rainy season, the weary caravan pre¬ 
pared to winter there, selecting for the purpose some 
high ground near a forest, upon which they built huts 
and considered themselves secure against the vernal 
flood. Yain precautions! The thundering voice of 
the tropical tempest made itself heard at length, and 
neither human ingenuity, nor high bank, nor tangled 
forest, could turn aside the mighty swell which, like 
a partial deluge, sweeps over the boundless plain at 
the vernal equinox. Thus the bold Castilians, after 
courageously braving the terrors of a savage country 
for nearly two years, found themselves reduced to a 
'small space of dry land, and in danger of being wash¬ 
ed away at any moment. Ignorant of the ways, and 
badly provided with the necessary appliances for pro¬ 
curing game in a country so profusely endowed with 
this commodity, they were still compelled to subsist 
on wild fruits and roots ; even these could not be 
procured but at the peril of ravenous jaguars, which, 
like themselves, had been driven thither by the en¬ 
gulfing inundation. More skilled in the art of 
swimming and navigating those waters, the vengeful 
Indians watched stealthily every opportunity to pick 
off stragglers from the camp ; and thus many of those 
poor wretches were spared the horrors of a lingering 
death by starvation, sickness, and despair. Yet, the 
unconquerable spirit of their leader, far from yielding 
to the force of circumstances, and wholly impressed 
with visions of a golden paradise, only seemed to urge 
him on still farther in the unknown interior ; for no 
sooner was he released from his long confinement by 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 457 

the subsidence of the waters, than Spira crossed over 
to the south side of the river, and proceeded on his 
journey, through innumerable hostile tribes of Indians, 
who annoyed him considerably on his march. During 
his wanderings over those immeasurable wilds, Spira 
obtained from an Indian captive some informati n 
respecting more prosperous and populated lands to 
the westward, the inhabitants of which w^ere clad in 
fine cotton fabrics, and wore ornaments of gold, show¬ 
ing a higher grade of civilization than that of the sav¬ 
ages he had encountered. Although at first he lent a 
willing ear to the story, and even sent a strong body 
of men to reconnoitre the lofty mountain range be¬ 
yond, the Adelantado desisted from his projected con¬ 
quest in that direction, owing to the rugged nature 
of the route, as reported by his men, and the little 
faith he placed on such statements from Indian in¬ 
formers. The fact is, the Spaniards had proved such 
troublesome guests, that the aborigines, to get rid of 
them, and perceiving their eagerness for gold, con¬ 
stantly allured them towards the wealth of other 
countries, situated farther off. Had Spira, on this 
occasion, followed the advice of his informant, instead 
of persisting, as he did, in his southern exploration, 
he would, in a short time, have found the promised 
land of his expectations—the rich and fertile country 
of the Muiscas, in one word, for he was then only a 
few days’ march from their own capital on the high 
table-land of Bogota. His bad luck led him instead 
to a region so exactly the reverse of this, that his 
companions gave it the name of Mai Pais (bad coun- 
20 


458 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


try), not only on account of the roughness of the land, 
hut also of its inhabitants, with whom they had sev¬ 
eral desperate engagements, before they were enabled 
to proceed. 

Without losing sight of the friendly cordillera 
which had guided their steps thus far, the Spaniards 
arrived at the village of a less pugnacious tribe of In¬ 
dians, which they christened with the name of Nuestra 
Senora, or Our Lady, in commemoration of the Feast 
of the Assumption, which they, in spite of their 
wretched condition, celebrated with great pomp and 
rejoicings, in 1537. It is the same where they after¬ 
wards founded the city of San Juan de los Llanos.* 
Here the Spaniards heard again of regions abounding 
in gold and silver, situated farther on ; and although 
they had become rather incredulous respecting such 
reports, they believed, on this occasion, what the In¬ 
dians told them, in consequence of finding there some 
signs of a more advanced state of civilization, such as 
a temple, consecrated to the sun, and a convent of 
virgins similar to those which were afterwards found 
among the Muiscas and Peruvians. Without stopping 
even to rest his troop, Spira crossed the Ariari, per¬ 
haps higher up than Macatoa, and before its junction 
with the Guaviare. He then penetrated, by force of 
arms, into the country of the Guayupes and Cani- 
camares, two powerful tribes, and shortly afterwards 
he discovered the head waters of the Papamene, where 
he stopped some days to rest his men, and to obtain 


* See map, at frontispiece. 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


459 


guides among the Indians to conduct him to the 
country of riches. The dwellers of Papamene received 
Spira in a friendly manner, and established with his 
soldiers a system of exchanges and communication 
most acceptable on both sides ; the strangers obtain¬ 
ing by these means the provisions they were in need 
of, and the Indians those trinkets of foreign manufac¬ 
ture so highly prized by them. But, tired at last of 
their troublesome guests, the aborigines persuaded 
them that a little further on they would find the 
country they were in quest of. To encourage them 
still more, five of the natives volunteered to act as 
guides, pledging themselves to lead them shortly to 
the heart of that happy country, from whence they 
would return loaded with riches. Instead of this, the 
wily Indians conducted them to a dismal labyrinth 
of swamps and quicksands, the abode of a ferocious 
and warlike nation, dexterous in battle and in the 
management of formidable lances of palm-wood, tip¬ 
ped with blades of human bone, very sharp and pointed. 
When once in the heart of this horrid wilderness, the 
guides disappeared one night, and left their friends to 
shift for themselves. 

Not in the least disconcerted by the untoward 
contretemps, the stubborn leader of the band, instead 
of retracing his steps, prepared at once to make a 
thorough exploration of that region. To this end he 
detailed his lieutenant, Esteban Martin—a well tried 
and competent individual—with fifty infantry and 
twenty horsemen, to reconnoitre the position. Martin 
soon discovered the difficulties of the undertaking, 


460 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


and the dangers to which they all would he exposed 
if the Governor persisted in his project. After an in¬ 
effectual reconnoisance of five days' duration, when 
men and horses were constantly in danger of being 
swallowed up by the treacherous ground, he returned 
to the camp, and again endeavored to dissuade the 
Governor from his foolhardy scheme ; but Spira was 
deaf to the timely advice of his lieutenant. Ordering 
him to leave behind the horses, and to take the fifty 
men already allotted to the service, he enjoined Mar¬ 
tin to resume the reconnoisance forthwith, by a differ¬ 
ent route. 

The result of the foray was just as the lieutenant 
had foreseen. The Indians allowed them to penetrate 
unmolested into the interior of their stronghold, and 
then cut them up in detail. Although the Spaniards 
fought like lions on this occasion, very few of them 
were fortunate enough to reach headquarters, to ap¬ 
prise the stubborn Governor of his danger. It became 
now necessary to effect a retreat from that den of hor¬ 
rors which the Spaniards stigmatized with the appropri¬ 
ate name of Los Choques —the Onslaughts—in allusion 
to the repeated attacks which the enemy made upon 
them while endeavoring to accomplish their escape. 
Unfortunately for the invaders, as they were then 
very near the line of the equator, where it rains almost 
incessantly, they had to contend also against the in¬ 
clemency of the weather, which brought on a multi¬ 
tude of diseases very fatal to men and horses ; for 
they had neither the means nor the physical strength 
to counteract them. Thus many of these brave fel- 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


461 


lows became a prey to the distemper, among them 
several distinguished individuals, whose names are 
given by Oviedo in his “ Historia de la Conquista,” 
such as Francisco Murcia de Rondon, who had acted as 
secretary to King Francis the First of France during 
his captivity in Spain. 

The most difficult part of the undertaking re¬ 
mained yet to be accomplished, namely, that of re¬ 
tracing their steps to the sea-coast through a flooded 
and deserted country ; for, with the previous experi¬ 
ence of the natives, the villages were abandoned at the 
approach of the dreaded foreigners, and stripped of 
their provisions. So great was the destitution among 
the followers of Spira, that, on one occasion, a party 
of his men fell in with an infant, left forsaken by its 
mother in the hurry of the moment after a surprise ; 
and, without the least compunction, they devoured it 
along with some edible roots found in the hut. When 
Spira heard of it he would have made an example of 
the cannibals on the spot; but considering that he was 
still in an enemy's country, and that he could not 
very well spare the men—four in number—he com¬ 
muted the sentence of death passed upon them to 
some other, though quite severe punishment. They 
all, however, got their deserts after a while ; for, as 
the historiographer Oviedo tells us, every one of them 
died in the most distressing agony—although of vari¬ 
ous diseases—at the thought of the horrid crime they 
had committed. 

A whole year was spent in this disastrous retreat, 
which, more than any other feat of arms, proved the 


462 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


mettle of the bold conquerors. The remnants of what 
was a dashing phalanx—ninety men out of the four 
hundred that five years before had started in search 
of wealth and fame—reached Coro in February of 
1539 ; and these, far from being discouraged by past 
misfortunes, only inflamed the ardor of other incau¬ 
tious adventurers to join themin a renewed search for 
El Dorado ; for we find Felipe de Urre and Pedro de 
Limpias, two of Spirals followers, engaging in a similar 
expedition soon after the return of this ill-fated con¬ 
quistador, who did not long survive the hardships of 
that fearful journey, for be died in Coro on the 12th 
of June, 1540. His successor, as Governor of the 
colony, Bishop de las Bastidas, whose mission as a 
prelate of the church should have been one of “ peace 
on earth, and good-will to men,” far from discounte¬ 
nancing these reckless enterprises, became himself a 
most ardent votary of the “ gilded king,” to whom 
he prepared to pay his respects through his lieutenant, 
the famous conquistador, Felipe de Urre, like Spira 
and Federmann, of German nationality. The ex¬ 
chequer of the colony being rather short of funds at 
the time, the Eight Eeverend sent an expedition un¬ 
der Pedro de Limpias, to the lake of Maracaibo, for 
the purpose of obtaining its equivalent in the shape 
of Indian captives, a species of merchandise which 
commanded a ready sale among the traders on the 
coast of Tierra Firme. The speculation succeeded so 
weil that, by the month of June, 1541, the Com¬ 
mander-in-chief was ready to start at the head of one 
hundred and fifty men, well armed and equipped for 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


463 


a protracted campaign. Urre appointed as his chief 
of staff the ubiquitous Pedro de Limpias, a brave and 
crafty adventurer, long experienced in Indian forays, 
especially that of the . unfortunate Jorge de Spira, 
and afterwards under Federmann, during his perilous 
journey over the icy Sierras of Cundinamarca. 

The only pass through the northern cord-illera then 
known to the colonists was that of Agua-Caliente, a 
little to the south of the present site of Puerto Ca- 
bello, and the same that Spira and Federmann sought 
some years before in their march through to the Llanos. 
This pass being situated some fifty leagues east of 
Coro, and no roads existing at that time, the little 
band of Felipe de Urre had to follow the coast-line 
intervening between both places, with no small incon¬ 
venience to men and beasts, from the. burning sands 
and the quagmires they must have encountered. 

The route being pretty well known already, Urre 
had no difficulty in finding the pass ; and then fol¬ 
lowing the line of march of his predecessors irf their 
famous perambulations through the Llanos, he reached 
La Fragua, or Nuestra Senora, in safety, stopping 
there for a while until the return of the dry season, 
and to obtain further information respecting the mys¬ 
terious land he was in quest of. His astonishment 
was great, however, when he heard that, a few days 
before, Hernan Perez de Quesada, with a large force 
from Cundinamarca, had passed through that place in 
quest of El Dorado. Fearing that the Spaniard 
might get ahead of him in this coveted conquest, 
Urre left his winter quarters sooner than he had cal- 


464 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


culated, and reached the country of Papamene. From 
thence he might have gained easy access to the popu¬ 
lous and well-stocked country of the Guayupes, but for 
his obstinacy in keeping the track of Quesada in his 
march southward. Although warned in time of the 
dangers of this route by a friendly Indian, who offered 
to conduct him instead to the rich domain of Macatoa 
in a south-easterly direction, the stubborn German 
still persisted in his purpose, with no better luck 
than his rival; who barely escaped with his life, and 
the loss of the greater portion of his followers, to the 
high table-land of Papayan, after two years of wan¬ 
derings and vicissitudes through the most dismal soli¬ 
tudes and tangled forests. 

Compelled by the approaching rainy season to 
seek, also the proximity of the mountains, and with 
most of his force in a deplorable condition, Urre has¬ 
tened to establish his winter quarters on a spur of the 
Andes, which stretches far into the low lands, and 
was framed by them the Punta, or Cape of Los Par- 
daos. But here an unexpected misfortune awaited 
them ; for the district being scarcely inhabited, they 
could find no provisions during their long wintry cap¬ 
tivity ; subsisting, like Spira and his men, on reptiles 
and the like. The greatest luxury they enjoyed at 
times was a ball of corn-meal, well seasoned with a 
species of red-ants, and roasted on the embers. The 
game was easily secured by placing th'e moist paste 
near the mouth of the ant-nest, which soon attracted 
the insects, and when well covered with them, they 
were kneaded together, the same operation being re- 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


465 


prated several times, until the roll contained more 
insects than paste. Reduced, in consequence, to the 
condition of walking skeletons, and most of them cov¬ 
ered with the most loathsome tumors and ulcers, the 
forlorn wanderers could hardly extricate themselves 
from that theatre of their misfortunes, when the sub¬ 
sidence of the waters allowed them to seek their old 
quarters at La Fragua, to recruit before engaging in 
new adventures. 

Although the force had dwindled down to less than 
half the number of those originally brought from Coro, 
Felipe de Urre determined to resume his explora¬ 
tions with only forty men, which was all that could be 
got together, after leaving a sufficient number at La 
Fragua for the protection of the sick. Remembering 
the advice given him by the Indian guide of Papa- 
mene to look for the country of the Omeguas in a dif¬ 
ferent direction from that taken by Quesada in his 
perilous pilgrimage,Urre set out inquest of Macatoa 
—situated on the right bank of the great river Gua- 
viare—as the most convenient centre for future opera¬ 
tions against the warlike Omeguas. 

Whether it was indifference on the part of the In¬ 
dians, or a preconcerted plan to bring their common 
enemy to speedy destruction at the hands of the 
Omeguas, the most powerful nation among them, the 
fact is, that the invaders found no difficulty in pene¬ 
trating as far as Macatoa by the help of Indian guides 
and assistance. In like manner the lord of Macatoa, 
on being informed of the purpose which had brought 
the strangers thus far, received them with every 


466 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


demonstration of* friendship, giving up to them the 
most commodious residences in the town, and assist¬ 
ing them with provisions and attendants in abun¬ 
dance. The same courtesies were extended to them 
at their departure, although the Cacique warned his 
guests of the perils they would encounter if they per¬ 
sisted in attacking the Omeguas with so small a force. 
In order to expedite their march, the Cacique sent 
messengers ahead to apprise the lord of the next tribe, 
his ally—situated some nine days' journey from Ma- 
catoa—of their coming, and recommending them 
strongly to his care and attention. On arriving there, 
so captivated were the inhabitants with the novelty 
of the strangers and their attire, especially with the 
horses, that they became even more obsequious than 
the people of Macatoa, and, like these, warned the 
leader of that squad of adventurers not to engage in 
so desperate a combat with the Omeguas, represent¬ 
ing likewise to Felipe de Urre that these, people pos¬ 
sessed also domestic quadrupeds of large size—proba¬ 
bly llamas—which they could use like horses if they 
chose. In addition to these facts the Spaniards were 
reassured of the immense wealth in gold and silver 
everywhere to be found among that populous nation, 
which news so excited their avarice that, disregarding 
all the chances against the success of their enterprise, 
they hastened towards the goal of their expectations. 

Perceiving that his arguments were of no avail 
with the Castilians, to deter them from their rash un¬ 
dertaking, the friendly Cacique offered to escort them 
with a few of his subjects, on the road to the nation 


\ 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 407 

of the Omeguas, reaching the first of their outposts 
in five days. It is related by the chronicles that, 
having ascended some high ground near by, the Span¬ 
iards descried a city of such extraordinary extent and 
magnificence, that, although not very far off, they 
could not see the end of it. The streets were straight, 
and the buildings quite near each other ; among the 
latter was to be seen a superb edifice of vast propor¬ 
tions, which the friendly Cacique told them was the 
palace of the lord of that city, whose name was Cua- 
rica ; and that it served the double function of habita¬ 
tion to his lordship, and temple to many gods, or idols, 
of solid gold. 

Here the Cacique, having accomplished his errand, 
proposed to return to his own dominions ; but before 
taking leave of his proteges, he advised Urre, as a last 
token of his regard, to capture, at all hazards, the 
men stationed at the post, before they should carry the 
alarm into the city. The suggestion was fully appre¬ 
ciated by the Commander and some officers near him, 
all of whom being on horseback at that moment, im¬ 
mediately gave chase to the fugitive Omeguas. One 
of these, finding himself hard pressed by Urre, who 
rode ahead of his companions, turned round suddenly, 
and struck the Commander so powerful a blow with 
his lance, that it pierced right through his cuirass, 
penetrating deeply into the ribs of the right side. 
Disconcerted with the blow, and the pain inflicted by 
the wound, Urre abandoned the pursuit, and turned 
back to rejoin his companions, while the fugitives 
made their escape into the city. 


468 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


Greatly perplexed with this unexpected mishap 
to their Commander, and fearing that, alarmed with 
the report carried by the advanced guard into the city, 
the Omeguas would immediately sally forth to encoun¬ 
ter them in great numbers, the Spaniards, by the advice 
of their friendly Indian guide, who still remained 
by them, placing their wounded leader in a ham¬ 
mock, resolved to retire at once from the neighbor¬ 
hood. Their apprehensions were soon realized ; for, 
in a little while, they heard the confused yells of the 
multitude, amidst the ominous booming of big drums 
and other war instruments, preparing for the attack. 
Happily for the retreating Spaniards, night came on 
soon after, which enabled them to place a good dis¬ 
tance between themselves and the advancing columns 
of the enemy. 

On arriving at the village of their good friend the 
Cacique, the first care was to attend to the chieftain's 
wound, as well as circumstances would permit ; but 
hardly were they established here, when the Cacique, 
apprised by some of his people who were working on 
their fields, informed Urre of the approach of the 
Omeguas. Unable to place himself at the head of his 
soldiers, the Commander ordered his lieutenant, Pedro 
de Limpias, to give them battle at once, regardless of 
their numbers, which, according to Oviedo, amounted 
to not less than fifteen thousand. The ground being 
favorable for the use of cavalry, Limpias headed the 
charge with the few horses he had at his command ; 
and although the Omeguas resisted for some time the 
onset of those animals,—seen by them for the first time, 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


469 


-—they at last commenced to give way; and the infan¬ 
try soldiers coming up at this moment under the or¬ 
ders of another brave captain, one Bartolom6 Belzar, 
completed the rout of the clamorous hosts of Omeguas, 
who have never since, to this day, been heard of; for 
Urre lost his life afterwards at the hands of a tyrant 
who ruled the colony in his absence, as we shall see 
presently; and the country remains still a perfect 
terra incognita , although several attempts were made 
subsequently from Peru and Quito to find that mys¬ 
terious land. 

% Convinced that, with the small force at his dis¬ 
posal, it would have been more than rashness to un¬ 
dertake the conquest of a city which, on so short a 
notice, could raise fifteen thousand warriors, Urre de¬ 
termined—so soon as his wound permitted him to 
mount his horse—to return to Macatoa, and hence to 
La Fragua, which he reached after an absence of three 
months. Great was the joy in the invalid camp of 
the Spaniards, on the return of their friends ; hut 
greater still, at the good tidings they brought of hav¬ 
ing found the long-sought-for realms of El Dorado ; 
for they had not the least doubt in their minds that 
such was the country of the powerful nation whose 
great city they had looked on with anxious eyes, hut 
dared not enter. 

It is a singular coincidence that, while Gonzalo 
Pizarro was engaged about this time in his ill-fated 
exploration of the country of Canelos, the land of 
cinnamon-trees, he heard from the Indians of Muchi- 
faro, that not far from there—somewhat in the direc- 


470 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


tion of Felipe deUrre’s discoveries—a great Sire, most 
opulent in subjects and riches, and whose name was 
Omeguas, or Omaguas, had his realms ; Pizarro sent in 
consequence his kinsman and confidential friend, Fran¬ 
cisco Orellana, to explore that region, with fifty men, 
who were launched upon the swift current of the river 
Napo in a frail barge, constructed in the wilderness, 
of very rude materials. But Orellana, probably dis¬ 
gusted by this time with the sufferings already en¬ 
dured, instead of searching for the “ rich and fruitful 
land abounding with gold/' abandoned himself and 
his companions to the current of the stream—one'of 
the greatest tributaries of the mighty Amazon—and 
once on the bosom of the Father of Waters, sought 
the broad Atlantic, which he reached in safety after a 

run of two thousand miles. “ But it is marvellous” 

• ' 

Prescott says, “ that he should escape shipwreck in 
the perilous and unknown navigation of that river. 
Many times his vessel was nearly dashed to pieces, on 
its rocks and in its furious rapids ; and he was in still 
greater peril from the warlike tribes on its borders, 
who fell on his little troop whenever he attempted to 
land, and followed in his wake for miles in their 
canoes.” * 

The sufferings endured by Pizarro and his men on 
this occasion, remind us of the miserable condition of 
Jorge de Spira and Felipe de Urre on their retrograde 
march to Coro. “ Every scrap of provisions had been 
long since consumed. The last of their horses had 


Conquest of Peru, vol. ii., p. 164 . 


THE LAND OP EL DORADO. 4 71 

been devoured. To appease the gnawings of hun¬ 
ger, they were fain to eat the leather of their saddles 
and belts. The woods supplied them with scanty 
sustenance, and they greedily fed upon toads, serpents, 
and such other reptiles as they occasionally found.” 

But to return to the way-worn company under the 
German leader, Urre, whom we left in rather a bad 
plight at their haven of La Fragua. After a delib¬ 
erate consultation among the principal captains of the 
band, it was unanimously resolved to send to Coro for 
reinforcements, and Pedro de Limpias having offered 
his services to that effect, he was despatched forth¬ 
with by Felipe de Urre with a good portion of his 
force as an escort; but suspecting, soon after, some 
evil intentions on the part of his lieutenant, who was 
always at loggerheads with the German element of the 
troop, the Commander followed him soon after, with 
the rest of the men. 

Subsequent events proved that the apprehensions 
of the gallant German were not unfounded; for on 
his approach to the settlements of the colony, he 
learned that the government thereof had passed into 
the hands of an usurper, a crafty lawyer, named 
Carvajal, Belator or Recorder of the Audiencia of San 
Domingo, who, by forgery of despatches from that 
body, had managed to appoint himself Governor, in 
the absence of the lawful incumbent of the post. 
Felipe de Urre was, moreover, warned by his friends 
of the machinations of his lieutenant, who, instead 
of demanding the requisite contingent of men and 
horses to prosecute his conquests, was plotting his 


472 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


destruction, and that of his countrymen, with the wily 
Carvajal. This individual, whom all accounts repre¬ 
sent as an unscrupulous tyrant and most accomplished 
hypocrite, succeeded, nevertheless, in disarming Urre 
and his adherents, all of whom he had the effrontery 
to put to death, on some specious pretext concocted 
between himself and the spiteful Pedro de Limpias. 

Thus fell one of the bravest pioneers of South 
America, and a most disinterested champion of its 
early colonization. “None of the chieftains,” says 
Oviedo, “ of the many that warred in the Indies, 
stained his sword with blood less than he ; for, having 
overrun more provinces than any one else in his pro¬ 
tracted journey of four years’ duration, his moderation 
was impelled to war only when he found no other 
means to obtain peace.” 

But the tyrannical rule of his murderer, Carvajal, 
was only of short duration ; for about this time the 
Emperor Charles the Fifth, cognizant of the excesses 
practised against the unhappy aborigines—through 
the representations of their zealous defender, the cele¬ 
brated Father Las Casas—and the deplorable state 
into which the country had fallen under the bad man¬ 
agement of the German company, annulled the charter 
granted to the latter, and sent an eminent jurist, the 
Licentiate de Tolosa, with full powers to regulate the 
affairs of the colony as Governor and Captain-General 
thereof. On his arrival at Coro, Tolosa was soon 
posted in regard to the conduct of the usurper Carva¬ 
jal, who, for greater security, kept himself at a dis¬ 
tance from the sea-coast, in the new settlement of 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


478 


Tocuyo, far away in the interior. The Captain-Gen¬ 
eral managed things so well, however, that he con¬ 
trived to pounce upon the wretch, one night, when 
least expected; and having tried, and found him 
guilty of the crimes imputed to him, he sentenced 
him to he hanged—after being dragged on a hide 
through the streets of the town—from the same tree, 
a splendid Ceiba, or silk-cotton tree, in the centre of 
the plaza, which the tyrant had polluted with his 
numberless atrocities, making use of it as a gibbet 
during his executions. 

We shall not follow the other conquerors in their 
restless search for El Dorado, now in one direction, 
now in an opposite quarter, until it was brought 
within the embrace of the mighty Orinoco, where 
Raleigh’s last adventure was terminated by his unsuc¬ 
cessful atrack upon Santo Tome de la Angostura, 
the present Ciudad Bolivar, where we must resume 
our journey. 

Although the river has been well known for the 
last three hundred years, the country within its 
boundaries, properly called Guayana, has remained 
comparatively ignored by the outside world until these 
latter years. A few settlements along its southern 
shore, and these principally controlled by priestly ex¬ 
clusiveness, was all the advancement that had been 
made there up to the destruction of the missions by 
the war of independence. Since then the country had 
nearly returned to its primeval state of savageness, 
when the “gold fever,” that most potent excitant 


474 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of all distempers, aroused the lethargic apathy of the 
inhabitants, and now bids fair to communicate itself 
to people of keener sensibilities. 

It is possible that the missionary fathers, who had 
for a long time entire control of the scattered villages 
south of the Orinoco, were well informed respecting 
the existence of the gold fields which are being 
brought to light just now ; but the frailes —all of 
them European Spaniards, and consequently strong 
supporters of their cause—were wantonly massacred 
by some staff officers of General Bolivar, and not one 
of them left to reveal the source of their reputed 
wealth. And, what is most singular, the learned Hum¬ 
boldt, who explored the Orinoco in nearly its whole 
course, devotes an entire chapter to prove the non¬ 
existence of gold in Guayana, especially on the spot 
where it has been found in the greatest abundance ; 
although, with his characteristic reserve and far-see¬ 
ing perspicuity, he concludes with these words : 

“ Though the celebrity of the riches of Spanish 
Guiana is chiefly assignable to the geographical situ¬ 
ation of the country and the errors of the old maps, we 
are not justified in denying the existence of any aurif¬ 
erous land in the tract of country of 82,000 square 
leagues (250,000 square miles), which stretches be¬ 
tween the Orinoco and the Amazon, on the east of 
the Andes of Quito and New Granada. What I saw 
of this country between the second and eighth degrees 
of longitude, is entirely composed of granite, and of a 
gneiss passing into micaceous and talcous slate. These 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 


475 


rocks appear naked in the lofty mountains of Parima, 
as well as in the plains of the Atabapo and the Casi- 
quiare. Granite predominates there over the other 
rocks : and though in both continents, the granite of 
ancient formation is pretty generally destitute of gold 
ore, we cannot hence conclude that the granite of 
Parima contains no vein, no stratum of auriferous 
quartz." 

The error of the great traveller in this respect is 
assignable to the fact that he never left the bed of the 
Orinoco, which is bordered, as he states, by ledges of 
primitive formation. The auriferous deposits of the 
State of Guayana are found in a range of mountains, 
having a general course north-east and south-west, 
about a hundred miles south of the Orinoco river, 

. precisely where Sir Walter Ealeigh placed his El Do - 
rado de la Parime. 

Through the courtesy of J. B. Austin, Esq., of 
Philadelphia—a gentleman of refined cultivation and 
thorough American energy, who has lately returned 
from that region—I am enabled to place before my 
readers the subjoined letter, containing an accurate 
statement concerning the so-called “ fabulous " realms 
of El Dorado,* as they now are : 

cc The streams having their sources in these moun- 

All fables have some real foundation; that of El Dorado resem- 
b’es those myths of antiquity which, travelling from country to country, 
have been successively adapted to different localities.”— Humboldt , 
vol. iii., p. 26, Bohn's Edition. 


476 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


tains, generally flow into tlie Cuyuni and Masaruny 
rivers, tributaries of the Esequibo, though some run 
into the Caroni, one of the great tributaries of the 
Orinoco. these gold deposits are approached, the 
geological features of the country undergo an impor¬ 
tant change. Quartz appears in immense quantities, 
running in broad veins through the savannas, or 
thickly distributed over great extents. This is often 
auriferous to a slight degree. South of the Yuruary 
river the system of plains is left behind, and here are 
ranges of hills and mountains covered with dense, 
gloomy, tropical forests, and intersected with numer¬ 
ous streams and rivers. The principal formation, or 
‘ country rock/ is highly metamorphosed talcose and 
chloritic slates, broken often by upheavals of granite, 
and traversed by veins and ledges of quartz, from 
thirty inches to ninety feet wide. All this is aurif¬ 
erous, free gold in quartz, and of a richness incredible, 
until seen and explored. The earth, rocks, and beds 
of streams all yield gold in the greatest profusion, 
and over ten thousand men are now at work there 
without any scientific direction, and with the poorest 
appliances for labor, but all doing well, many accu¬ 
mulating large sums of money. Every part of their 
labor is by hand, and their tools andTmplements of 
the most ordinary character. 

“ Here is timber sufficient for ages of consumption'; 
abundant supplies of water ; a quiet, orderly people ; 
good government, and deposits of gold apparently in¬ 
exhaustible. It seems strange that such a country 
has remained so far hidden for such a length of time. 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 477 

It was known to the aborigines, for we find their old 
pits, implements and pottery. Even as late as the 
time of Sir Walter Raleigh it was known to the 
Indians, and that gallant leader m&de four attempts 
to penetrate its fastnesses, but each time was 
driven back by the Spaniards. Evidently it was 
known to the Capuchin fathers, who colonized and 
christianized that section of South America ; but 
by them it was held as a great secret, and upon 
their overthrow and massacre, in 1815, the trace 
was lost, until accidentally discovered again a few 
years since. 

“ It is a remarkable fact also, that the State of 
Guayana, since the date of its independence from 
Spain in 1812, has remained free from those internal 
dissensions and strifes so common in South American 
states. Its inhabitants are orderly, honest, and in¬ 
dustrious ; their pursuits pastoral and agricultural, 
and its rulers men of great political ability and en¬ 
larged liberal views. 

“ The climate of the State is salubrious, and the 
communications with -the mines good ; wagons can 
pass from the river to them in five days, and steamers 
run every fortnight from the river to England and 
France in eighteen days, and monthly to New York 
in twelve days. 

“ In a scientific point of view the country is most 
interesting. It is emphatically an unexplored field ; 
its geology, natural history, and botany, almost un¬ 
known ; pictorially it is very beautiful ; protection to 
life and property absolutely safe ; and though some- 


478 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

what rough in its accommodations, still most interest¬ 
ing to the traveller. 

“ With such unbounded sources of wealth within 
its borders, so accessible to the great centres of com¬ 
merce, and under such an enlightened administration 
of public affairs, it requires no gift of prophecy to 
foresee the rapidity of development now opening for 
the great and prosperous State of Guayana. 

“ The scenery throughout the canton of Upata 
partakes more of the pastoral character, its most 
marked feature being quiet beauty. There are places, 
such as the site of the mission of Santa Maria, the 
approach to the Yuruary from Guacipati, the great 
palm forests near Palmar, and the mountain range 
of Nuri, which are grand, even sublime ; but generally 
the scene is more park-like, the mountain forms quiet, 
the savannas sweeping off in long swells, with trees 
scattered over them singly, in groups, or groves, seem¬ 
ingly as if planted by man for pictorial effect. The 
valleys are fertile and luxuriant—all the produc¬ 
tions of the tropical zone maturing almost without 
labor ; the savannas furnish rich pasturage for tens 
of thousands of cattle—the forests are prolific in woods 
of the greatest value—the streams rapid, and their 
water good. 

“ The auriferous deposits beyond the Yuruary have 
been traced from that river through to the Ventuari, 
about four hundred miles ; not, for all this distance, 
by continuous exploration, but in detached efforts, 
penetrating from the Orinoco at various points, and 
always striking the same general system of veins.” 


THE LAND OF EL DORADO. 479 

As I understand that Mr. Austin is engaged in 
writing a book on this important subject, I abstain 
from further comments in the matter, convinced as I 
am, that no one is better calculated than himself to 
enlighten his countrymen respecting a region emi¬ 
nently adapted to the enterprising energy of the 
Anglo-Saxon race. 

“ Son arboles y piedras un tesoro, 

Los montes plata y las arenas oro.” 

Baralt, Oda d Colon, 

In its trees and its stones are treasures untold, 

Its mountains are silver, its sands are of gold. 


Note. —According to the official returns of the State of Guayana 
which I have before me, the exports of gold through the Custom¬ 
house of Ciudad Bolivar for the months of April and May, 1867 , 
amounted to $168,816.00. 

By Steamer Pioneer, 1194 ounces, or $28,668.00 
“ “ “ 1800 “ “ 43.200.00 

“ Bark Rosedale 3627 “ “ 87.032.00 

_ u__ 

6620 $158,800.00 

This much without taking into consideration the vast amounts 
which are carried away by private individuals, without passing 
through the Custom-house to avoid the export duty levied on gold by 
the Venezuelian government. 




CHAPTER XXVII. 


THE OIL-WELLS OF THE ORINOCO. 

I fear that the description of the land of El Dorado 
has already been extended beyond the limits assigned 
to that chapter; otherwise we might continue our 
voyage down the noble river, and yisit other points of 
attraction along its course ; such as the falls of the 
Caroni, three miles above its confluence with the 
Orinoco. On its margins grows the beautiful Bom - 
jolandia trifoliata , which yields the Angostura-bark of 
the pharmaeopcea—next to quinine, the most effica¬ 
cious antidote against the miasmas of these regions. It 
also furnishes the principal ingredient in the compo¬ 
sition of the fine bitters manufactured there under 
that name. By descending the river still farther, we 
might enter any of the thousand channels into which the 
Orinoco divides itself before it empties into the Atlantic 
Ocean, and there take a look at the curious race of 
men—the Waraun Indians—living on trees like apes, 
for want of dry land upon which to stretch their 
limbs ; or in rude huts built on piles driven in the soft 
mud of the Great Delta. But as the time draws near 


THE OIL-WELLS OF THE ORINOCO. 4gl 

for our departure from the Llanos, and the rivers com¬ 
mence to overflow the plains, we will reascend the 
Orinoco and rejoin our friends, who await us impa¬ 
tiently on the banks of the Apure; or else we might 
find ourselves, like Spira and his companions, cut off 
from the rest of civilization. We shall also miss the 
curious harvest— cosecha —of turtles' eggs, which 
is gathered about this time upon the sand-islands of 
the Orinoco, just above the mouth of the Apure. 
Here the great turtles called arraus by the Indians, 
and tortugas by the whites, assemble in vast multi¬ 
tudes during the dry season to perfect the incubation 
of their eggs. This they accomplish by digging pits 
in the sand with their hind feet, in which they deposit 
the eggs, covering them afterwards very carefully, and 
entrusting the rest of the operation to the heat of the 
sun. The people from far and near this el dorado of 
eggs and turtles, then hasten ^o these sand-banks, and 
provision themselves for “ a rainy day '' at the expense 
of the lawful' tenants of those islands. 

Other travellers having already studied the habits of 
these amphibia in their native habitat, we may avail 
ourselves of their experience in forming some idea of 
their prodigious increase, in spite of their sluggish 
habits. I may mention, among others, Humboldt and 
Bates, who have given to the world very graphic ac¬ 
counts of this singular “ harvest,’' the former on the 
Orinoco,* and the latter on the Amazon river, f But 

* Travels to the Equinoctial Regions, 
f The Naturalist on the Amazon. 

21 


482 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


the most interesting account within my knowledge is 
that of Father Gumilla, who, having spent many years 
among these wilds, is entitled to special attention on 
the part of the lovers of nature. As his book is very 
rare and curious nowadays, I will, for the benefit of 
my readers, give here a translation of the chapter de¬ 
voted to the subject : 

“Of the extraordinary harvest ( Cosecha ) of 

TURTLES GATHERED BY THE INDIANS OF THE 

Orinoco ; their eggs, and of the peculiar 
OIL obtained from them. 

“ So great is the number of turtles in the Orinoco 
river, that whatever I may say on this subject will fall 
far short of the actual truth ; and I even fear that 
many, in reading my authentic account of what I myself 
have repeatedly seen, experienced, and touched with 
my own hands, will accuse me of exaggeration ; but 
it is a fact that it would be as difficult to count the 
sands of the extensive banks of the Orinoco, as to 
compute the immense number of turtles which it har¬ 
bors on its borders and in the depths of its currents. 

“ Some idea may be formed of the enormous con¬ 
sumption of these creatures, when we say that all the 
tribes and people of adjacent countries, and even from 
those farther off, frequent the Orinoco with their fam¬ 
ilies to secure what I termed the harvest of turtles ; 
for they not only maintain themselves therewith during 
the months that it lasts, but also carry away a large 
supply of turtle-meat, dried by fire, and a still greater 


THE OIL-WELLS OF THE ORINOCO. 483 

number of baskets of eggs, dried also by the same 
means. But what principally attracts the people of 
these tribes is the oil which they gather from the eggs of 
said turtles, in large quantities, to anoint themselves 
throughout the year twice every day, and to sell to the 
more remote tribes who cannot, or through fear dare 
not, go down the river Orinoco. 

“ As soon as the river begins to bill and to display 
its first sandbanks in the month of February, the tur¬ 
tles commence to show themselves, in order to deposit 
their eggs in the sand ; those which appear first 
are the small turtles called terecayas , weighing 
scarce an arroba of twenty-five pounds ; these lay 
twenty-two and sometimes twenty-four eggs, like hen’s 
eggs, but without the shell, instead of which they are 
covered by two membranes, one soft and the other 
thicker. With these terecayas other turtle also appear, 
who, in the previous year, found no sand in which to 
deposit their eggs, or were prevented from so doing by 
the great number assembled there. These large tur¬ 
tles, which, when three years old, weigh two arrobas 
—as I have proved by the scales—deposit sixty-two, 
and ordinarily, sixty-four round eggs each, larger than 
those of the terecayas , with stronger membrane, and 
with which the Indians play ball on shore, or egg each 
other in sport. In each nest of eggs there is one larger 
than the rest, from which the male is hatched ; all the 
others are females. About this time the Indians, of 
various tribes, commence to arrive from all points of 
the adjacent countries : some of them build their 
straw huts ; others content themselves by driving poles 


484 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


in the sand, from which to swing their hammocks. A 
multitude of tigers also appear to turn up the turtles, 
which they devour in spite of their strong cuirass ; it 
circumstance which by no means adds to the pleasure 
and satisfaction that the Indians derive from their ex¬ 
cursion to the Orinoco, since, in spite of all their care, 
scarcely a year passes in which the tigers do not devour 
some of the poor Indians, who have no other mode of 
keeping them off at night than by fires, which, so long 
as they burn, keep the beasts at a distance. 

“Fearing the heat of the sun—which often kills 
them on the sand-banks—the turtles at first come out 
only at nightfall to lay their eggs; but, as the season 
advances, the gathering is so great, that the multi¬ 
tudes already out prevent the passage of still greater 
numbers, which, with heads above water, are waiting 
a chance to pass on ; and so soon as an opportunity 
presents itself, they hasten to lay all their eggs at once 
—the burthen of which they cannot support without 
great inconvenience,—regardless of the sun and heat, 
which often costs many of them their lives. 

“ I have noticed three curious facts with reference 
to these turtle-nests : the first is, that after opening 
with the utmost care the holes in which these animals 
deposit their eggs, they take particular pains to close 
them again, so as not to leave a trace by which the 
nest may be found. For this purpose they leave the 
ground perfectly even with the rest of the sand-bank ; 
and in order that the marks of their feet may not 
lead to their discovery, they pass over and around the 
nest several times in succession before they quit the 


THE OIL-WELLS OF THE ORINOCO. 


485 


ground. All their precautions are in vain, however, 
for wherever there are eggs, the sand remains quite 
loose, and gives way under foot; and by these means 
the eggs are found in the early part of the season ; but 
later, in the height of the harvest, there is no need of 
looking for these signs ; for, in the same sands in which 
the first turtles laid, the second, third, and scores of 
others also lay their eggs in such prodigious quanti¬ 
ties, that wherever the Indians may dig, they find them 
in heaps, the animals themselves scattering them all 
over the ground while excavating their own nests. 

“ The second curious fact that I have observed, by 
driving a pole near to a newly-laid nest, is, that in 
three days' time, the incubation of the eggs is^ not only 
perfected, but the young turtles have broken through 
the shell ; so great is the power of the sun and the in¬ 
tensity of the heat absorbed by the sand. 

“ The third point noted by me is, that the young 
turtles, on coming out of the shell—at which time 
they are about the size of a half dollar,—do not leave 
the nest by daylight, nature having taught them that 
the heat of the sun will kill them, and the birds of 
prey will devour them. They come forth, therefore, 
in the silence and cool of the night ; and what has 
most excited my admiration is, that although the hole- 
from which they emerge may be half a mile or more 
from the river, they never mistake the road, but go in 
a direct line to the water. This pleased me so much, 
that I have repeatedly taken the turtles a great dis¬ 
tance from the river, carrying them covered, and turn¬ 
ing them around over and over again on the ground, in 


486 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

order to make them lose their course ; but whenever 
they found themselves free, they made straight for the 
water, and I following them, admiring the wonderful 
goodness of the Creator, who thus endows each of his 
creatures with powers to find its natural element. 
What a lesson to us, who, in spite of the hope of eter¬ 
nal reward and the danger of everlasting punishment, 
scarce succeed in taking the right path for that ulti- 
mate goal for which the goodness and mercy of God 
created us ! 

“ About this time the Indians, both men and 
women, rise very early, and the former turn over as 
many turtles as they please, leaving them on their 
backs in such a way as to render them incapable of 
resuming their natural position ; for although they 
strive with their paddles to right themselves, their 
back is so high that they cannot touch the ground in 
order to obtain a foothold. They are then carried by 
their captors to the ranches, where they are made fast 
by leaving them on their backs, as aforesaid. Mean¬ 
while the women and children occupy themselves in 
filling and carrying baskets of eggs and little turtles 
to the ranches, making large heaps of the former, and 
keeping the latter in the baskets to prevent their 
escape into the river, which they always do whenever 
they can. The men also dig holes in the sand down 
to the level of the river, which are quickly filled by the 
infiltration of the water, and place therein large num¬ 
bers of baby-turtles, to be eaten as wanted ; each of 
which makes a delicious mouthful, free from bones, 
the very shells being soft and tasty. The number of 


THE OIL-WELLS OF THE ORINOCO. 


487 


delicate young turtles eaten daily by the innumerable 
families congregated there is incalculable. But the 
quantity of eggs consumed is even greater, both as 
food and for the extraction of oil; so great, indeed, 
that notwithstanding the size of the Orinoco river, it 
is the opinion of the experts of that country that, 
were it not for this extraordinary consumption of tur¬ 
tles and their eggs, the increase of these animals in 
the river would be such as to render it unnavigable ; 
for boats would find it impossible to make way 
through the immense number of turtles w r hich would 
appear were all these eggs to be hatched ; in which 
opinion I participate also. In the same way, it is sa d 
that on the fishing-banks of Newfoundland, frequented 
by so many vessels, the shoals of codfish are so immense 
that the passage of vessels is seriously embarrassed and 
delayed. It is also asserted that each fisherman can 
catch as many as four hundred codfish per day. 

“Let us now see how the oil is extracted, which, 
as I have already said, is the chief attraction which 
brings so many people to the Orinoco. After wash¬ 
ing the canoes which have brought them there, they 
draw them on the beach, and pour several pailsfull of 
water into them : they then wash the eggs in baskets, 
until not a grain of sand remains adhering to them, 
and when perfectly clean, they are emptied into the 
canoes and trod upon by children in the same way as 
grapes are mashed in wine-making. Once full, the ca¬ 
noes are left exposed to the sun's rays, and in due time 
a fine and limpid liquid rises to the surface, which is 
the oleaginous portion of the eggs ; so abundant is 


488 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


this, that I have been surprised to see a frying-pan 
placed dry on the fire, and after being heated, well 
beaten eggs poured therein, which, on touching the hot 
pan, gave forth sufficient oil to fry the omelet, with a 
certainty that it never sticks to the pan. 

“ Whilst the heat of the sun is extracting this 
fine oil, the Indian women place large pots over the 
fire, and the men with fine shells, very suitable for the 
purpose, remove the oil from the surface of the mix¬ 
ture in the canoes, and carry it to the pots, where the 
heat of the fire boils and purifies it. If, during the 
operation of transferring the oil any of the beaten 
eggs are taken along, they remain fixed in the bot¬ 
tom of the pots. The oil, when purified, is put in 
suitable jars, and is much finer and clearer than that 
of olives, as I have proven to many Europeans, who 
could hardly believe it, in the following manner. I 
filled half a glass with olive-oil; I then poured in a 
like quantity of oil from the eggs of turtles ; when, lo ! 
they commenced to change positions from top to bot¬ 
tom, first one and then the other, gradually mixing 
together in the middle Tintil they finally com¬ 
mingled, losing their natural color and assuming an 
albuginous appearance like watered milk ; the mixture 
being left quiet for half an hour or more, the egg-oil 
commenced to rise to the surface, and in a short time 
remained on top of the olive-oil, just as the latter floats 
on the surface of water, both resuming their natural 
color. But to return to our narrative. 

“ At the dinner hour—although they are all the 
while eating eggs and young turtles, just for the fun 


THE OIL-WELLS OF THE ORINOCO. 439 

of it—a single animal will provide three large and 
distinct dishes, ample for the largest family; a 
turtle, split on both sides, furnishing the following por¬ 
tions, viz.: head and neck, the two hind legs, and 
the pectoral paddles, which require a good-sized pot to 
hold them. Before placing them in it, some large 
lumps of fat are removed, yellow as the yolk of an 
egg ; and this is another source of gain, which the 
Indians take home ; and as the turtle which gives the 
least, yields two pounds of this fat, the profit is con¬ 
siderable. The pot being placed on the fire, the 
husband takes the shell which forms,the turtle's back, 
and the wife the breast-plate; and after carefully 
chopping together the meat, fat, and great quantity 
of eggs which still adhere to the shell, the latter serve 
them as pots also,without the slightest danger of burning. 
Before the mess is quite cooked, they put the shells on 
the fireplaces, and make their first dish, the gigote, on 
the breast-plate, which is very delicious and tender; 
and even the breast-plate itself is sometimes eaten, as 
it becomes impregnated with the fat, and is quite pal¬ 
atable. The second dish is made from the hash pre¬ 
pared on the shell taken from the turtle's back. This 
is quite a treat, and is called garajpacho, I do not 
know why. Finally, the third dish is the olla , or 
bouilli, which ends the meal, and is washed down with 
plenty of chicha* which they take good care to pro¬ 
vide themselves with in sufficient quantity for the 
whole season. 


* A kind of beer made from Indian-com. 


490 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


“ One would scarcely believe bow fat the children, 
and in fact the whole pack of them, grow during the 
season ; but no wonder, for as the good Father Manuel 
Roman, the Superior of our Orinoco missions, has often 
assured me, although born in Olmedo, and grown in 
Valladolid and Salamanca, he did not miss the fine 
mutton of those places so long as he could depend 
upon the turtles of the Orinoco. Other Spanish 
priests of the same missions expressed themselves in 
like terms. 

“ The gain and benefit derived from these turtles 
by the Indians does not stop here ; for, besides the im¬ 
mense number of eggs which they consume, both as food 
and in the preparation of the oil, they also carry away 
great quantities of them, dried like figs in the sun ; 
or by the heat of slumbering fires made underneath 
horizontal trellises raised for the purpose. The amount 
of eggs thus purloined can easily be imagined from the 
fact, that these people will readily give in exchange 
for a knife four basketfuls of them, each of which 
contains at least one thousand eggs. They also carry 
away as many turtles as they can conveniently stow 
in the canoes, without danger of sinking, tying them 
securely therein to prevent their escape. 

“ Of this species of turtle, what most excited my 
surprise was the immense number of eggs which each 
of them has within itself; for, besides the roe ready 
to be laid this year, farther in they have the one for' 
the next season, of nearly the same size as the former, 
but destitute of that covering or white membrane which 
envelops the eggs ; then follow those for the third year, 


THE OIL-WELLS OF THE ORINOCO. 


491 


about the size of musket-balls ; for the fourth year, of 
the calibre for a fowling-piece ; for the fifth year, they 
are no bigger than buckshot ; and at this rate they 
decrease until they present a confused mass resembling 
turnip and mustard-seed ; and God only knows for 
how many years those creatures are endowed with 
similar receptacles of life in embryo.” 

This much was observed and related concerning 
the turtles of Orinoco by the reverend missionary 
father in the early part of the seventeenth century : 
let us now hear what the great philosopher of modern 
times says in regard to these humble creatures ; for he, 
too, spent several days among the children of nature 
during the “ harvest ” of eggs and turtles provided for 
them by their beneficent mother. 

u I acquired some general statistical notions on the 
spot, by consulting the missionary of Urvana, his 
lieutenant, and the traders of Angostura. The shore 
of Urvana furnishes one thousand botijas, or jars of 
oil annually. The price of each jar at Angostura va¬ 
ries from two piastres to two and a half. We may 
admit that the total produce of the three shores, where 
the cosecha , or gathering of eggs, is annually made, is 
five thousand botijas. Now, as two hundred eggs yield 
oil enough to fill a bottle (limeta), it requires five 
thousand eggs for a jar or botija of oil. Estimating 
at one hundred, or one hundred and sixteen, the num¬ 
ber of eggs that one tortoise produces, and reckoning 
that one-third of these is broken at the time of lay- 


492 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


ing, particularly by the c mad tortoises/ we may pre¬ 
sume that, to obtain annually five thousand jars of oil, 
three hundred and thirty thousand array, tortoises, the 
weight of which amounts to one hundred and sixty-five 
thousand quintals, must lay thirty-three millions of 
eggs on the three shores where this harvest is gathered. 
The results of these calculations are much below the 
truth. Many tortoises lay only sixty or seventy eggs • 
and a great number of these animals are devoured by 
jaguars at the moment they emerge from the water. 
The Indians bring away a great number of eggs, to eat 
them dried in the sun ; and they break a considerable 
number through carelessness during the gathering. 
The number of eggs that are hatched before the people 
can dig them up is so prodigious, that near the en¬ 
campment of Urvana I saw the whole shore of the 
Orinoco swarming with little tortoises an inch in 
diameter, escaping with difficulty from the pursuit of 
the Indian children. If to these considerations be 
added, that 'all the arraus do not assemble on the 
three shores of the encampment; and that there are 
many which lay their eggs in solitude, and some weeks 
later, between the mouth of the Orinoco and the con¬ 
fluence of the Apure ; we must admit that the num¬ 
ber of turtles which annually deposit their eggs on the 
banks of the Lower Orinoco, is near a million. This 
number is very great for so large an animal. In gen¬ 
eral large animals multiply less considerably than the 
smaller ones.” * 


Humboldt, Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America. 


THE OIL-WELLS OF THE ORINOCO. 


493 


So extraordinary do these things appear to those 
not conversant with the wonders of 
South America, that, to strengthen 
my statements, I am often compelled 
to quote from more familiar writers 
on this subject, for fear of being ac¬ 
cused of exaggeration, as has already 
happened with reference to one simple 
fact of every-day occurrence among 
Indian hunters. I allude to the mode 
of shooting turtles and crocodiles with 
arrows of a peculiar construction, re¬ 
ferred to at page 109, and which 
appeared for the first time in previous 
editions of my Wild Scenes in South 
America. The London Saturday lie- 
view of July 11th, 1863, commenting 
upon this—to others than the prac¬ 
tised eye of an Indian—most extraor¬ 
dinary feat of skill, appeals to one of 
the best mathematicians in the king¬ 
dom to learn if such a thing can be 
done at all ; although in other respects 
the remarks of the reviewer are highly 
flattering to the book. I will endeavor 
to show, on this occasion, that nothing 
is easier when you know how to do it, 
in support of which I could do no 

Arrow used in Turtle better than appeal also to the testi- 
shooting. m ony of English authorities. Both 

Wallace and Bates mention the fact in their re- 







494 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


spective books of travel on the Amazon and Rio 
Negro ; and the latter accompanies his remarks 
with an accurate representation of the arrow used 
for that purpose, which I reproduce on the previous 
page, with the following paragraph alluding to the 
mode of using it: 

“ Cardozo and I spent an hour paddling about. 
I was astonished at the skill which the Indians display 
in shooting turtles. They did not wait for their com¬ 
ing to the surface to breathe, but watched for the 
slight movements in the water, which revealed their 
presence underneath. These little tracks on the water 
are called the Siriri; the instant one was perceived, 
an arrow flew from the bow of the nearest man, and 
never failed to pierce the shell of the submerged ani¬ 
mal. When the turtle was very distant, of course the 
aim had to be taken at a considerable elevation, but 
the marksmen preferred a longish range, because the 
arrow then fell perpendicularly on the shell, and en¬ 
tered it more deeply/' * 

The writer goes on then to describe the arrow, 
which corresponds in every particular with my own 
description of it at page 109. En passant, I will 
remark here that both books containing it came out 
in London about the same time ; and I would 
recommend to lovers of travel and adventure the 
perusal of Mr. Bates’ interesting chapter on the 

* The Naturalist on the Amazons, vol. ii., p. 260. London, 1868. 


THE OIL-WELLS OF THE ORINOCO. 495 

harvest of turtles’ eggs among the sand-islands of 
the mighty Amazon, as well as Humboldt’s nar¬ 
rative on the same subject among those of its 
brother river, the Orinoco ; both are exceedingly 
entertaining. 

But what will the mathematicians and military 
men of Great Britain, or any other country, say, 
when I tell them of an Indian who, for a small con¬ 
sideration, would strike a medio-real —half a dime— 
with an arrow at an angle of 85° ? This was done by 
placing the money on the top of a lime or lemon close 
to the big toe of the archer’s left foot ; he then would 
bend backwarks, assisted by the right one, allowing 
a sufficient space between the bow and the lime for 
the arrow to turn down after being shot up in the air; 
and so certain was the aim that the savage made quite 
a little fortune about the streets of Caracas, where he 
exhibited his skill during the short visit which his 
Cacique paid President Paez at the Capital. 

It is also related of another Indian that he could 
shoot a buzzard soaring above his head without bak¬ 
ing at the bird, guided only by the shadow cast upon 
the ground about midday. In connection with this 
the reader will find in the work of the Rev. J. C. 
Fletcher, Brazil and the Brazilians , a wood-cut rep¬ 
resenting an Indian archer shooting on his back at 
a flock of ducks passing over him. A large and strong 
bow is bent by his legs while he holds the butt-end of 
the arrow in his hands—“ In this way they are able 
to shoot game at a great distance.” 

Although these things appear very wonderful to 


496 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


us, who cannot even u draw a bow at a venture,” we 
should recollect that the very existence of the savage 
depends upon the accuracy of his aim as, with lightning 
speed, he flings the unerring arrow at his prey. No 
one thinks of doubting the historical story about the 
Parthian children who were obliged to bring down 
their morning’s meal from the top of a post with a 
much more clumsy instrument—the sling , thereby 
acquiring the wonderful dexterity for which their 
warriors were famed. 

Some may be inclined to doubt the truth of the 
stories found in profane history, but will not dispute 
the testimony of Scripture, wherein we are told that 
the giant-warrior Groliah was slain by the youth 
David, with only the help of a sling and a “ pebble 
from the brook.” It may be said that it was by 
Divine aid that David hit the mark so skillfully ; but 
who shall presume to say that such aid is withheld, 
because the being requiring it is a savage and not one 
of the chosen race ? 

And now, my dear reader, though such wonderful 
exhibitions of skill as are related above may appear 
to your mind as savoring strongly of the proverbial 
exaggeration which is supposed to accompany the 
relation of all extroardinary feats of the chase, yet, if 
we reflect on the thousand examples which come 
under our daily observation, illustrating the marvelous 
inventive powers of man, and the manual skill re¬ 
quired to produce and apply many of his inventions, 
you cannot but conclude with me that there are latent 


THE OIL-WELLS OF THE ORINOCO. 


497 


powers given to us by the great Master, which, when 
awakened by necessity, can surmount obstacles and 
attain ends involving a degree of physical as well as 
mental perfection almost superhuman. A constant 
supply of food is the first and greatest demand of 
nature. To attain this, the inhabitants of the vast 
wilds of South America have no other resource than 
the game which their streams and forests afford ; 
the acm6 of their savage education is to excel in the 
skill and cunning of the chase ; their hunting im¬ 
plements are necessarily rude and imperfect; con¬ 
sequently, great accuracy of aim, and steadiness of 
nerve are required in their successful application. 


CHAPTER XXVIII. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Haying now accomplished the most difficult part 
of our labors, namely, that of transporting three 
thousand wild animals across a rising stream by such 
primitive means, we took advantage of the few canoes 
at our disposal to transfer ourselves and chattels to 
the other side of the river. This was not so easily 
done, as the credente was rapidly gaining upon us, 
with no small risk to our ponderous equipment, which 
had to he landed on the sandy beach ; and unless 
quickly removed, while waiting for another canoe¬ 
load, our traps were in constant danger of being 
carried off by the boisterous waves of the river. I had 
thus the misfortune of being deprived of my hammock, 
which circumstance compelled me to seek repose at 
night on the stiff hide covers of the baggage—not a 
very comfortable couch after a hard ride in the hot sun. 

Our long train of baggage-mules and wild beasts 
necessitated many stoppages by the way in order to in¬ 
corporate stragglers, hut more frequently to hunt anew 
the runaways among the latter—not an easy task. 


•«Nnou ayv.waKOii 
































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































HOMEWARD BOUND. 


499 


The bulls especially showed a marked reluctance to 
leave behind their bellowing harems in the everglades 
across the river. Such was their love of home in this 
respect, that we were assured that most of those 
which succeeded in evading our pursuit, made their 
way back to their savannas in spite of the broad ex¬ 
panse of water which separated them. Much valu¬ 
able time and patience were lost in this way, while 
the increasing inundation was following fast on our 
steps, so much so, that long after we had left the 
banks of the river on our rear, we had to wade through 
a continuous sheet of water, which was every moment 
rising above the fetlocks of our beasts. We also had 
to ford several smaller streams, already swollen by 
the rapid rise of the Apure; but, as no canoes 
could be had amidst those wilds, for love or money, 
we availed ourselves of the primitive contrivance 
devised on such occasions by means of a raw hide 
fashioned into a lighter. The trunks and boxes 
were carefully piled inside the skin, and if a person 
chose to avail himself of this frail barge, he had only 
to sit steadily on the top of the baggage; the load 
was then carefully launched on the water, the other 
end of the rope intrusted to the swimmer and towed 
in safety to the other side. In this manner our pon¬ 
derous Doctor and a few others who were unwilling 
to expose their own skin to the tender mercies of the 
caribes, were successfully ferried across, although it 
required a steady nerve not to stir an inch and thus 
upset the whole concern. 

Our march across the prairies presented a splendid 
sight and was suggestive of a long file of prisoners 


500 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


after a well-contested field of battle. At the head of 
the column, which extended for upward of a mile, 
marched a strong picket of horsemen, the Punter os , 
guiding the caravan; and on the sides and rear was 
another file of men with lazos ready to unfold after 
deserters. Lively tunes and whistling were kept up 
by the men for the diversion of the cattle, which ap¬ 
peared quite delighted with the music and in conse¬ 
quence became less restive on the march. 

When near San Jaime, I, together wfith a party 
of young companions, having separated ourselves 
from the rest and taken another route, lost ourselves 
in the intricate passes leading to the village. This 
circumstance, although it delayed us for some time 
from reaching the camp, led us to an abundant field 
of rich honey, the production of a small wasp called 
matajey , which builds its nest on the branches of the 
trees, in the shape of a large ball. The sting of this 
insect is so distressing, that persons affected by it be¬ 
come feverish and benumbed; therefore, in order to 
possess ourselves of its delicious honey-combs, we took 
the precaution to smoke out the wasps by means of a 
burning rag at the end of a long pole applied to the 
mouth of the nest, when the whole swarm abandoned 
it to the hunters without molestation. 

It was almost dark when we arrived at San Jaime, 
having hit accidentally upon the right path, after 
wandering the whole day through the woods; but, 
being well supplied with honey and vrater, we did not 
regret as much the loss of our dinner, as the fact of 
its having been prepared by another kind of swarm, 
but this time of pretty girls, who had assembled for 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


501 


the purpose at the cottage of our hospitable host. We 
enjoyed, however, the pleasure of their unsophisti¬ 
cated society for some time before retiring to our ham¬ 
mocks where, fatigued by the toils of our previous ad¬ 
venture, we speedily lost ourselves again in “ sweet, 
balmy sleep.” 

Being rather in a hurry to reach the pass before a 
sudden rise of the creeks connected with the river Por- 
tuguesa, we were up long before sunrise, and had 
barely time to partake of a substantial breakfast, pre¬ 
pared by our charming entertainers. 

Immediately upon our arrival at the pass, we pro¬ 
ceeded to force our cattle across the river, which being 
less wide than the Apure, and our herds having be¬ 
come more manageable after the long march, we were 
enabled to execute it in better order and less time than 
at the former river. Still we contrived somehow or 
other to tarry here longer than was necessary, having 
wasted three days in accomplishing what might have 
been the work of one. The fact is, that we were 
rather taken up with our former feminine acquaint¬ 
ances, especially at the close of day, when the party 
assembled in the barracoon, destined for Xhe fandango, 
which was usually kept up the whole night. 

Fitful accompaniment to these nocturnal revelries 
was the deafening croaking of the toads and frogs, 
now abounding by myriads in the marshes and quag¬ 
mires of the vicinity. The shrill,* metallic notes of 
the frogs, and tlie hoarse croaking of their milky 
brethren, are a feature which never fails to excite 
the astonishment of strangers in those regions. The 
former especially are so striking, that were an English- 


502 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


man or American suddenly transported there, without 
knowledge of these sounds, he would imagine himself 
at home, in the neighborhood of ten thousand steam 
whistles. I was assured by our friend B., with 
reference to the toads of Guadarrama, a village on 
the banks of the Portuguese, that one night he was 
thrown down in the street by coming in contact with 
one of these creatures, which he mistook for a boy in 
a stooping posture. Indignant at, what he supposed, 
the indiscretion of the fellow, B. was in the act of 
kicking him away when, to his surprise, he perceived 
the seeming hoy slowly moving off in the shape of a 
big toad ! 

This, of course, is another of B.’s great yarns, 
which he endeavored to pass on us as veritable facts 
occurring to him during his wandering peregrinations ; 
but really, putting aside his extravagant stories, such 
is the volume of voice and long-sustained sopranos, 
bassos, and contraltos of the toads and frogs of South 
America, that one would suppose they had lungs as 
big as those of a manati. And as regards the size 
that these creatures attain here, I may quote a 
passage from a recent hook of travels in those coun¬ 
tries which, had it not appeared in London simulta¬ 
neously with the first edition of the Wild Scenes in 
South America* any one might he inclined to think 
■—after reading the preceding remarks—that they had 
been suggested by the perusal of the following par¬ 
agraphs : 

* See London Athenaeum of August, 3, 1863, which contains a full 
review of both books. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


503 


“ In soft, dripping weather, the country roads be¬ 
come almost impassable, and my favorite resource was 
to sit still and read Tennyson or Longfellow; but the 
studies of a novice in Brazil, on a wet evening, are 
strangely interrupted by the extraordinary proceedings 
of frogs and toads of all sorts and sizes, which testify 
their exuberant joy by the most discordant noises. 
Croaking is no name for it. Some of the milder and 
quieter kinds may perhaps be said to croak, but these 
are soon silenced by another tribe, whose name is 
Legion, grunting, snorting, and shrieking like a rail¬ 
way train at full speed ; and when they stop for want 
of breath, the c wondrous song * is taken up by larger 
numbers of other detestable batrachyans, which keep 
up a frantic revel of rattling and clattering, such as I 
have never heard equalled, except by an intoxicated 
chorus of May sweeps. 

“ Some of the toads are enormous. In one of my 
mountain rambles I suddenly spied a very beautiful 
lycopodium growing in large quantities on a moist 
bank, and, without looking at my feet, sprang across 
the path to gather a specimen. I stumbled over some¬ 
thing very hard and immovable, and nearly measured 
my length in the mud ; but I seized the lycopodium, 
and then turned round to look at the obstacle. It was 
a monstrous toad, nearly a foot long, with great yellow 
pits around its spiteful eyes, and as ugly a brute as 
ever I saw. He did not make the least attempt to 
move, and seemed to be chuckling over the fact of 
nearly upsetting a traveller. A friend of mine, how¬ 
ever, told me that he had been offered a still larger 


504 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


specimen as a present, which he declined to accept on 
the ground of ferocity. He said it was as big as a hat, 
it opened its mouth like an oyster, barked like a dog, 
and flew at his legs ! A nice pet to keep in a straw¬ 
berry-bed ! ” * 

But I never was so struck with the power which 
frogs alone can exert u in congress assembled/’ as one 
night that I accompanied—soon after our return from 
the Llanos—a military expedition to surprise a band 
of revolutionists, who had been committing all sorts 
of depredations on the plantations across the lake, and 
were preparing to attack the town of Villa de Cura on 
the road to the plains. We started from Maracay in 
the early part of a rainy night, and had to take a cir¬ 
cuitous route—it hardly deserved the name of road— 
around the eastern end of the lake to reach the vil¬ 
lage of Magdaleno (headquarters of the marauders) 
before daylight. As the expedition had to be con¬ 
ducted with much precaution, neither drums nor 
bugles were allowed ; consequently all orders had to 
be given viva-voce. But when we reached the nearest 
point to the swampy borders of the lake, I do not 
believe that even Stentor could have made himself 
heard in the midst of that hellish uproar. To add to 
our “ confusion worse confounded/’ the soil was so 
spongy and drenched with the vernal deluge, that 
infantry and cavalry—we had no artillery—were nearly 
swallowed up by the mud before firing a shot at the 

* South American Sketches, by Thos. Woodbine Hinchliff, F. R. G. S. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


505 


enemy ; fortunately we extricated ourselves before the 
latter were apprized of our approach by a volley fired 
at our vanguard by one of their advanced posts near 
the village, which, had they exhibited the least judg¬ 
ment in military tactics, they might have stationed a 
little further off, where we encountered a turbulent 
stream which only a portion of our for,ce with the 
utmost difficulty could cross. As it turned out, we 
entered the village pell-mell with their advanced 
guard, and soon scattered them over the neighboring 
mountains, where further pursuit was utterly im¬ 
possible. 

What a glorious chance these swampy realms of 
Venezuela would offer some French gourmand desirous 
of migrating to South America ! And yet, strange to 
say, our people will not touch that epicurean bonne - 
bouche, which has conferred a name upon a whole 
civilized nation : les sauvages ! 

Another noisy creature that makes its appearance 
about this time also, is the chicharra, an insect of the 
locust tribe, with which the woods are literally filled, 
and whose sharp, shrill, and continuous chant almost 
surpasses that of the frogs themselves. Fortunately, 
they are only heard in the day-time ; and our route 
being mostly over open prairies, we were not so 
constantly tormented by them, except whenever we 
had to pass through the woods infested by these noisy 
insects. It seemed to me that for every leaf of those 
truly gigantic trees there were twenty chicharras , all 
singing at the top of their voices, without the least 
intermission. What they live upon—for I did not 
22 


506 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


perceive any damage to the foliage of the trees—and 
when do they get their meals, my observations could 
not discover. Sullivan tells us of two other insects 
of the tropics, which joined to the above, might rival 
the nocturnal concerts of maitre crapeau. 

“ During our ride, I was startled by hearing what 
I fully imagined was the whistle of a steam-engine ; 
but I was informed it was a noise caused by a beetle 
that is peculiar to Tobago. It is near the size of a 
man's hand ; and fixing itself against a branch com¬ 
mences a kind of drumming noise, which by degrees 
quickens to a whistle. It was so loud that, when stand¬ 
ing fully twenty yards from the tree where it was in 
operation, the sound was so shrill that you had to raise 
your voice considerably to address your neighbor. The 
entomological productions of the tropics struck me as 
being quite as astonishing in size and nature as the bo¬ 
tanical or zoological wonders. There is another beetle, 
called the razor-grinder, that imitates the sound of a 
knife-grinding machine so exactly, that it is impossible 
to divest oneself of the belief that one is in reality 
listening to ‘ some needy knife-grinder ' who has wan¬ 
dered out to the tropical wilds on spec." * 

Some kinds of trees were also alive with another, 
though quite harmless tenant, the iguana , a green 
lizard measuring nearly four feet in length, and thick 
in proportion round the body, whose flesh is said to 
surpass that of the tenderest chicken, and, I imagine 
—never having tasted it—even that of the celebrated 


* Rambles in North and South America. 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


507 


French, bonne-bouche referred to above. The eggs 
which it lays in great profusion, I know from per¬ 
sonal experience, are quite sweet, and can he taken 
out of the animal, without injury to the harmless 
creature, by cutting it open and sewing it up again. 
While at San Jaime I heard a story in connection 
with this reptile, which is very characteristic of the 
Spanish commanders during the war of Independence, 
and whose memory is still fresh throughout the country 
they overran with their exactions. It appears that 
one of these gentlemen newly arrived from Spain, had 
established his headquarters at San Jaime, which was 
by this time pretty well cleaned out of everything that 
moved upon the earth. One day, the soi-disant com¬ 
mander was going his rounds about the town, when he 
met an Indian boy carrying a brace of iguanas sus¬ 
pended from a stick upon his shoulders; these lizards, 
by virtue of their aerial prerogative, or perhaps on ac¬ 
count of their inexhaustible numbers, having escaped 
the general onslaught upon other living creatures, not 
excepting the inhabitants. The Spaniard, who had 
never seen iguanas in his country, naturally had his 
curiosity aroused, and at once instituted as close an in¬ 
terrogatory respecting these, as if a doomed cc insur¬ 
gent ” had been brought to him. “ Say, boy, are they 
good to eat ?”—“ Si, Senor” replied the boy, who 
probably had never tasted in his life any other kind of 
food.—“ What will you take for them ? ” (quite con¬ 
siderate ).— u Una peseta, .Senor ” (a quarter of a dol¬ 
lar). A bargain was at once made to the satisfaction 
of both parties, and the iguanas were handed over to 


508 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


the orderly beside the commander, who gave the proper 
directions to have them served for dinner ; and so 
delighted was His Excellency with the dish, that he 
published at once a bando offering a reward of twenty- 
five cents for every brace of iguanas brought to him. 
Three days afterwards he had to countermand the 
order through another bando , threatening with capital 
punishment any one who would dare to bring him 
another brace of the horrid-looking creatures, with 
which the juvenile portion of the town had by this 
time filled his - headquarters. 

The favorite haunts of the iguana are the Ceiba, 
and the Sand-box trees —Ura crepitans —both brist¬ 
ling with sharp thorns, a good protection against the 
persecution of predatory boys ; otherwise these lizards 
fall an easy prey, when perched upon more accessible 
localities, by merely •“ whistling tor them ; ” for being, 
as it appears, very fond of musical sounds, they are 
readily lulled to sleep by that means, while the cap- 
tors prepare a noose at the end of a long rod with 
which they secure their victim. They do not always 
fare badly, however, for being easily domesticated, 
they are kept as pets by the female portion of the 
household, where they become very useful in ridding 
the cottage of cockroaches and other vermin. Their 
bitterest enemies, however, are roving, lazy Indians, 
who not only consider them a dainty morsel, but 
take particular delight in tormenting these inoffensive 
creatures by quartering them alive, and teazing them 
in various ways ; thus, when any person is in a bad 
plight his troubles are compared to those of the iguana 


HOMEWARD BOUND. 


509 

in that predicament, as will be seen in the following 
popular ditty: 

Los trabajos de la iguana 
Cuando los Indios la cojen, 

Le quitan los cuatro patas 
Y le dicen, iguana, corre! 

When Indians seize the iguana 
Her sorrows are begun, 

They cut off her four feet, 

And cry, “ Iguana, run! ” 

How different the case would have been if, instead 
of the puny, harmless creatures that iguanas are at 
the present day, their cruel tormentors had lived 
in the times of their prototype, the Iguanodon , the 
most colossal of the saurian reptiles, sixty feet in 
length, with a horn on its snout as formidable as that 
of the rhinoceros, and teeth sharp enough to munch 
to a jelly the most stately Ceiba or Sand-box tree. 
“ It is difficult to resist the feeling of astonishment, 
not to say incredulity ”—observes Figuier—“ which 
creeps over one while contemplating the disproportion 
so striking between this being of the ancient world and 
its congener of the new.” * The Iguanodon was in 
fact an iguana of huge dimensions, enjoying the free¬ 
dom of the jungle with the Hylceosaurus and the 
Megalosaurus —two other saurian monsters of the cre¬ 
taceous period. The latter is represented as possess¬ 
ing teeth in perfect accord with the destructive func¬ 
tions developed in this formidable creature, for they 
partake at once of the knife, the sabre, and the saw. 

* La Terre aiant le Deluge. 




CHAPTER XXIX. 

CALABOZO. 

While quietly absorbed one day in the pleasures 
of the angler by the banks of a creek not far from the 
• camp, I was startled in my peaceful occupation by 
the report of fire-arms in that direction. There were 
rumors concerning the depredations of a band of rob¬ 
bers in that neighborhood, and therefore I had every 
reason to suppose they had been bold enough to at¬ 
tack our little band of resolute men with a view to 
plundering the camp. To pack up lines and port¬ 
folio was the work of an instant, and hurrying toward 
the camp, I arrived breathless and panting with fa¬ 
tigue in time to get the last glimpses of the cause of 
this uproar in the shape of a lancha gliding quickly 
down the river. It seems that the boatmen, delighted 
with the presence of the beloved Chieftain of the 
Llanos, immediately recurred to the usual way of ex¬ 
pressing their enthusiasm, whether in peace or war, 
through the means of the all-potent gunpowder. In 
the afternoon of the same day a detachment of horse, 
composed for the most part of citizens from Calabozo, 

x m 


CALABOZO. 


511 


arrived at the pass to invite the general to their city, 
and to offer him protection, in case of need, from the 
band of desperadoes above mentioned ; these had al¬ 
ready been bold enough to attack the prison guard of 
Calabozo, with the object of carrying off one,of its 
inmates, a prominent citizen of the place who had 
been implicated in the robbery of a large drove of 
mules. Although it was currently reported that his 
two sons were the perpetrators of this unworthy act, 
yet, the fact that the animals were found on his estate, 
and his stout refusal to implicate his sons, made him 
responsible for the robbery; he was therefore incar¬ 
cerated and his trial had commenced when his sons, 
adding sedition to theft, attacked the prison during 
the night with a band of peons from their own and 
other cattle estates. The result was most disastrous 
to the assailants ; one of the sons having been badly 
wounded in the strife was taken prisoner and shot in 
the public square; while the other forfeited his life 
soon after during the vigorous persecution undertaken 
by the citizens against his band. Yet, this handful 
of men, badly armed and without leaders, but with a 
wide field of forest and savannas for retreat, and 
plenty of cattle for subsistence, continued for a long 
time to engage the serious attention of the govern 
ment; and finally, when the following revolution 
broke out, they formed the nucleus around which the 
rebel party mustered very strong. In this manner 
many depredators not only evade the punishment of 
justice for their crimes, but eventually rise in impor¬ 
tance, and even become leading spirits in the land 
where the laws are powerless in repressing their ex¬ 


cesses. 


512 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 

With this encouraging prospect before us, we bade 
adieu to the gay brunettes of La Portuguesa and took 
the straightest route to Calabozo, across the great es¬ 
ter o or swamp of Camaguan. An entire day was 
spent in wading through this refreshing transit route, 
which, owing to the increasing rise of the river, had 
already acquired the aspect of a broad lake. Our 
horses were most of the time immersed in the water 
up to the saddle girths, and few of them escaped total 
submersion, wherever there were any depressions of 
the ground. Many of the baggage mules especially, 
having no rider to guide them, lost their footing and 
rolled in the water, to the great discomfort of those 
who had any articles of apparel in their loads. Tow¬ 
ard the afternoon we emerged from this dismal 
swamp and made a landing at a place called Banco 
Largo, celebrated in,the annals of the horse epidemic 
as the cattle estate upon which the wrath of Heaven 
fell after the blasphemous boasting of its owner. 

We were beginning to appreciate the comfort of 
riding again upon firm ground, when we observed a 
group of horsemen emerging from the palmar on our 
right, galloping in the direction of our scouts, as if 
threatening to cut them off. Fearing lest they might 
be the band of robbers whom we had every reason to 
suspect of evil intentions, we put spurs to our horses 
in hot chase of them. Mistaking us in, turn for those 
gentry, the strangers pushed on ahead of us to evade 
our pursuit. Our scouts observing their retreat cut 
off by a larger force, were not slow in their endeavors 
to reach the farm-house, where they could defend 
themselves against the supposed robbers until we 


CALABOZO. 


513 


could come up to their assistance. The suspected 
party being mounted on fresh horses, we found it 
difficult, however, to overtake them. Fortunately 
one of their horses stumbled accidentally in a hole, 
throwing down the rider, which circumstance placed 
him in our hands; from him we ascertained that they 
were not salteadores , but vaguer os from a neighboring 
cattle farm, whom the annoyances of the mosguilla 
had compelled to ride through the palmar at robber’s 
speed. His companions observing that we permitted 
him to depart in peace, now slackened their pace, 
and had their fears dispelled before they could carry 
the alarm to other places that the salteadores were 
close at hand. 

At Yenegas, a cattle State not far from Calabozo, 
we parted company with our herds, abandoning their 
care and guidance to the efficient cap orals, while we 
proceeded direct to the Palmyra of the Llanos, always 
escorted by the citizen-guard who had come so far to 
meet us. Another deputation from the city, com¬ 
posed of the most prominent persons in the place, met 
us at the pass of the Guarico, and after a few congrat¬ 
ulatory compliments, we rode on without stopping 
until we reached the village of the Mision de Abajo. 
Here we remained long enough to change our wet 
garments and partake of a collation prepared at the 
summer residence of an old soldier of Independence. 
This village is famous on account of several crystalline 
springs issuing from deep gullies made by the water 
on a hard conglomerate composed of sand, pebbles, 
and nodules of beautiful agates ; the whole cemented 
together by a calcareous substance, consisting probably 


514 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


of minute shells of infusoria.* Some of the pools 
measure several fathoms in depth; yet the water is 
so transparent, that the smallest pebble can be clearly 
discerned at the bottom; I also noticed many small 
fish. These sparkling natural fountains were shaded 
by groves of balsamiferous plants, such as copaiferas, 
amyris, and carob-trees, the dark foliage of which 
was relieved by a carpet of green grass extending for 
miles around, the whole presenting an appearance of 
a well-cultivated and beautifully laid out English 
park. Thither resort, during the sultry months of 
summer, the inhabitants of Calabozo, who now came 
out in vast numbers to welcome us to their beautiful 
city. 

The procession was formed on the extensive nat¬ 
ural lawn, three miles in length, between the village 
and the city, which .rose in the distance amidst the 
towering foliage of the fan-palms surrounding it in 
oriental magnificence. As we entered the narrow, 
but cleanly streets, the firing of muskets, pistols, and 
blunderbusses commenced amidst the vivas of the 
population, while a shower of roses fell on the favored 
head of the “ Lion of the Llanos,” f as he passed under 
the windows of the houses. 

The city of Calabozo, capital of the province of 
El Guarico, is situated upon the northern extremity 
of the mesa or plateau of the same name, command- 

* See Darwin, Geology of the Pampas, pp. 129—lYl. Murray, 1852. 

f Leon de los Llanos, or Leon de Payara—the appellation given to 
General Paez by the people after the action of San Juan de Payara in 
1837, when he defeated with his body-guard of sixty Llaneros the forces 
of the rebel chieftain Farfan, numbering one thousand. 


CALABOZO. 


515 


ing an extensive view of the picturesque country 
watered by the beautiful river which gives its name 
to the province. Unlike all the other towns of the 
Llanos, Calabozo is an extremely well-built city, with 
streets running at right angles. The houses are neat 
and commodious, ranking with the best in the capital 
of the republic. It contains a number of line churches, 
one of which was built at the expense of a wealthy 
cattle proprietor of the place; it is one of the finest 
temples in the country. 

Words cannot do justice to the enthusiastic recep¬ 
tion and boundless hospitality extended to us on this 
occasion by the generous inhabitants. In addition to 
the regular entertainments, such as breakfast and 
dinner-parties, balls, and fandangos provided daily in 
their city residences, we were occasionally treated to 
a fete champetre, a la llanera , in their quintas or 
country-houses. Most of these are situated on the 
banks of the beautiful Guarico, on the slopes of the 
plateau upon which the city is built; and there, 
amidst the most luxuriant groves of orange, lemon, 
and other tropical fruits, the abundant fare was served 
to us in true Llanero style. In the mean time the tro- 
vatori of the Llanos did not fail to enliven the scene 
with their never-ending trovas llaneras , in which espe¬ 
cial mention was made of the most prominent persons 
to whom we were indebted for this munificent hospi¬ 
tality ; but more particularly to the past deeds of the 
personage who prompted it. The broad fan-shaped 
leaves of the moviche- palm (Mauritia, flexuosa)—the 
celebrated Tree of Life of the Warraoun Indians— 
supplied the most appropriate table-cloths on these 


516 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


occasions, spread in the vicinity of some murmuring 
spring, issuing in most cases from the foot of the 
palm-trees. The natives believe that this plant pos¬ 
sesses the power of pumping water from the ground 
by means of its matted roots: they evidently con¬ 
found cause and effect in this, as well as in many 
other cases; for this luxuriant palm will not thrive 
except in moist ground. The slopes of the mesa act¬ 
ing as a vast drain to the plain above, offer this de¬ 
sideratum to the moriche- palm. Some of the springs 
are of a thermal character, but not too warm to pre¬ 
vent persons enjoying a most refreshing bath. I 
noticed, in one instance, two springs running side by 
side, one of which was cold and the other warm. The 
tide-flooded lands on the Lower Orinoco and Amazon 
rivers seem to be particularly adapted to the develop¬ 
ment of this noble * species of palm. “ In those 
places,” says Wallace,f “there is no underwood to 
break the view among interminable ranges of huge 
columnar trunks, rising unbroken by branch or leaf 
to the height of eighty or a hundred feet, a vast nat¬ 
ural temple, which does not yield in grandeur and 
sublimity to those of Palmyra or Athens.” 

A full-grown leaf of this tree is quite a load for 
one man to carry. The petiole, or leaf-stock, is a solid 
beam ten or twelve feet long, while the leaf or fan 
itself measures nine or ten across. The fruit, in 
bunches of three hundred and upward, perfectly re¬ 
sembles the cones of the white pine. When arrived at 

* Linneus, in his enthusiasm for the splendid family of palms, calls 
them the princes of the vegetable kingdom. 

f Palms of the Amazon and Rio Negro. 


CALABOZO. 53J 

its maturity, it is yellow within and scarlet without, 
covered with scales. 

The benefits of this life-supporting tree may be 
reckoned as numerous as the number of days in the 
year. From the unopened leaves the wild man of the 
forest obtains a fibre remarkable for its toughness, and 
which he twists into cordage for his bow-string and 
fishing tackle, or weaves it into elegant hammocks 
and aprons for himself and family; he also plats them 
neatly into mats and cloaks, and even sails for his 
canoe; when fully expanded, these leaves form the 
best thatch for his hut. From the terminal bud or 
inner layer of leaves, commonly styled the cabbage 
of the palm, the Indian procures a vegetable quite 
analogous to, and more tender and delicious than a 
similar production of the garden. The fruit in like 
manner affords a variety of alimentary substances, ac¬ 
cording to the season in which it is gathered, whether 
its saccharine pulp is fully mature, or whether it is in 
a green state. Like the plantain and the celebrated 
peach-palm of the Rio Negro, it is either eaten raw, 
when fully ripe, or roasted—in the latter case tasting 
very much like chestnuts. Soaked in water and al¬ 
lowed to ferment, it forms a pleasant drink somewhat 
resembling pulque . The ripe fruit also yields by boil¬ 
ing in water, an oil which is readily converted into 
soap by means of the ashes of a Clusia, (< quiripiti .) 
“ The spathe, too—a fibrous bag which envelops the 
fruit before maturity—is much valued by the Indian, 
furni^iing him with an excellent and durable cloth. 
Taken off entire, it forms bags in which he keeps the 
red paint for his toilet, or the silk cotton for his ar- 


518 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


rows, or lie even stretches out the larger ones to make 
himself a cap, cunningly woven by nature without a 
seam or joining. When cut open longitudinally and 
pressed flat, it is used to preserve his delicate feather 
ornaments and gala dresses, which are kept in a chest 
of plaited palm-leaves between layers of smooth bussu 
cloth.” * The trunk of the male tree contains a fari¬ 
naceous meal, yuruma , resembling sago, and like the 
fecula of the tapioca-root, it is readily converted into 
bread by simply drying it on hot earthen plates. 
Allowed to rot in the stem, this meal gives birth to 
numerous fat w T orms, highly esteemed by Indian gour¬ 
mands. Tapped near the base of the leaves, the trunk 
yields also an abundance of a sweet liquor, which, 
when fermented, forms one of the various kinds of 
palm-wines. Such are in substance some of the most 
useful products of this veritable tree of life, with which 
the existence of a rude people is as intimately con¬ 
nected, as that of civilized man is with the luxuries 
and comforts that surround his home. 44 When the 
Tamanacks,” says Humboldt, 44 are asked how the 
human race survived the great deluge, the 4 age of 
water ’ of the Mexicans, they say: 4 a man and a 
woman saved themselves on a high mountain, called 
Tamanacu, situated on the banks of the Asiberu, and 
casting the fruit of the moriche-palm, they saw the 
seeds contained in these fruits produce men and 
women who repeopled the earth.’ Thus we find in 
all its simplicity, among nations now in a savage 
state, a tradition which the Greeks embellished with 
all the charms of imagination.” 

* Wallace, Palms of the Amazon and Rio Negro. 


CALABOZO. 


519 


To protect themselves from the attacks of mosqui¬ 
toes and wild beasts,* the tribes roaming over the 
great delta of the Orinoco, are in the habit of raising 
between the huge trunks of the palm-trees hanging 
platforms skilfully interwoven with the foliage, w T hich 
allow them to live in the trees like monkeys. The 
floor of these aerial habitations is covered with a coat¬ 
ing of mud, on which the fires for household purposes 
are made. Thus wdien the first explorers of the Orino¬ 
co River penetrated for the first time into that exu¬ 
berant terra incognita , they were surprised to observe, 
among the tops of the palm-trees, flames issuing at 
night as if suspended in the air. “ The Guaranis still 
owe the preservation of their physical, and perhaps 
their moral independence, to the half-submerged, 
marshy soil over which they roam with a light and 
rapid step, and to their elevated dwellings in the 
trees, a habitation never likely to be chosen from 
motives of religious enthusiasm by an American Sty- 
lites ” * 

I also met for the first time at Calabozo with the 
most splendid rose-bush, or rather tree, I had ever 
seen, and which appears to be indigenous to that hot 
region, as I am told that the same grows in great 
luxuriance at San Fernando and Ciudad Bolivar, but 
was unknown to the rest of the country previous to 
our visit to the Llanos. Being passionately fond of 
flowers myself, I did not neglect to bring along with 
me this beautiful new variety to our home in the 
Valleys of Aragua, where it soon displayed its count- 

* The followers of a sect founded in Syria by the fanatical pillar- 
saint, Simeon Sinanites.— Humboldt. 


520 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


less blossoms to the admiring gaze of the passers by. 
From thence it was also carried by me to Caracas, 
where it soon became the general favorite of the fair 
dames of the Capital, who by unanimous accord 
named it, not as might be supposed after the intro¬ 
ducer, but after his father, with which the former was 
equally well satisfied; and certainly no more beauti¬ 
ful compliment could have been paid their favorite 
champion, than by associating his name with the 
acknowledged Queen of Beauty among flowers. The 
size attained by this plant surpasses any thing of the 
kind with which I am acquainted. When favored by 
a dry and hot climate like that of Calabozo, its shoots 
attain a height of fifteen to twenty feet with a cor¬ 
responding thickness; so that a hammock with its 
usual load can be supported between two trees ; and 
as these put out a great number of branches, each of 
them loaded with flowers or buds ready to expand, 
they present a sight truly splendid. A hundred blos¬ 
soms may be plucked each morning of the year with¬ 
out marring its luxuriant beauty. I have myself 
counted over one thousand buds on a single plant. 
These flowers are of a delicate pink color, with very 
regular petals of a deciduous nature; so that in de¬ 
taching themselves from the calix, they cover the 
ground upon which the parent grows, with a rosy 
carpet. 

“ Sin flores y sin bermosas 
Qu6 fuera de los inortales ? 

Bien habeis nacido, rosas, 

Sobre el lodo de los males.” 

—Akolas. 


CALABOZO. 


521 


TRANSLATION. 

M Without beauty, without flowers, 

What would he this world of ours ? 

Well, that e’en in misery dire 
Find we roses ’mid the mire.” 

The truth of the above sentiment we soon realized; 
from this time a succession of misfortunes, commencing 
with a violent attack of fever which nearly carried us 
all to the grave, and ending with the destruction of 
our property and peaceful homes, followed one another 
without intermission. 

The fever was doubtless induced by our previous 
exposure on the journey and subsequent dissipations 
at Calabozo, although the city itself is one of the 
healthiest spots in the republic. Unfortunately, our 
physician, who was blessed with a very jealous wife, 
had been summoned home by his better half on hear¬ 
ing of our approach to the fairy metropolis of the 
Llanos. However, there were two or three medical 
gentlemen in the place, and these, with the unremit¬ 
ting kindness and assistance of the ladies, managed 
to keep us alive until a skilful physician, who had 
been sent for, arrived from the Yalleys of Aragua. 
The critical condition of our respected Leader and sire 
particularly gave them serious fears, as the fever in 
his case had commenced to assume a malignant char¬ 
acter. Courier after courier was despatched across 
the miry plains to hasten the arrival of the doctor, 
while the generous inhabitants vied with each other 
in the anxious cares with which they surrounded the 
sick-bed of their beloved guest. Years have rolled 
on, and many changes have since taken place, both 


522 


TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES. 


in the affairs of the nation and in the fortunes of the 
subject of these remarks; yet, their love for the 
“ Martyr of San Antonio,” * far from diminishing, 
seems to have increased during his protracted exile ; 
for, as late as 1861, after the overthrow of Monagas, 
a petition addressed to Pres. Tovar asking his recall, 
and signed by all the inhabitants of Calabozo, has 
come to hand, protesting in the strongest terms against 
the impolicy and injustice of leaving him still in exile 
when the nation most needs his counsel and influence. 
Justly deprecating the horrors of civil war and the 
want of unity which have existed in the republic since 
the downfall of the Monagas party, the petitioners 
conclude with this feeling outburst of patriotic solici¬ 
tude for the absence of their favorite champion: 
“ From the far-off shores of the Arauca, to the sources 
of our own Guarico,. our anxious horsemen watch in¬ 
cessantly the far horizon, inquire from the passing 
breezes of the destinies of the Hero, who has con¬ 
demned himself to voluntary exile, and then exclaim 
with a sigh : 4 Were he again to lead us on to battle, 
Victory w T ould be forthcoming, strengthened by Peace, 
and blessed by the vanquished.’ ” 

* San Antonio, an old castle in Cumana, where General Paez was 
kept in durance for nine months by the late ruler of Venezuela, Geneial 
Jose T. Monagas. ^ 


CONCLUSION. 


523 


CONCLUSION". 

Here, courteous reader, end our rough journeys 
across the Llanos, and our real troubles commence ; 
for having been involved—contrary to my own incli¬ 
nation, it must be owned—in the political strifes so 
prevalent in Spanish America, I have been compelled 
to wander ever since, from land to land, like the mys¬ 
terious Jew of the French novelist, Eugene Sue, 
with neither settled home nor abiding place of rest. 
What I saw and learned worth relating during my 
peregrinations, hither and thither, will make the sub¬ 
ject of the Second Series of these sketches, which, if 
your patience is not exhausted or my repertoire does 
not give out, I trust to lay before you at no distant 
day. • In the meantime you must excuse any imper¬ 
fections in the style and composition of this book ? 
considering that I write in a language which is not 
my own, and which often perplexes even those who 
have more claims to it than myself, so many are its 
grammatical irregularities. 



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